Dhanalakshmi Scheme is a conditional cash transfer scheme for the girl child with insurance cover which would go a long way towards ensuring the survival of the girl child and assuring a better life for her. Dhanalakshmi scheme is launched by the government along with the Women and Child Development Organization in India.
Objectives of Dhanalakshmi Scheme
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The main objective of the scheme is to provide a set of financial incentives for families to encourage them to retain a girl child, educate her and prevent child marriage as well as covering certain medical expenses for girls.
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Adding to it the Dhanalakshmischeme also focuses to minimise female infanticide cases in India by means of providing an insurance cover.
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The scheme also supports education for girl child and offers alluring insurance schemes to prevent early marriage.
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The aim of the scheme was to value the life of a girl child and not treat them as a liability.
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The scheme offered cash incentives for parents in a bid to give girl children a promising future.
However, the scheme is now done away as a result of more attractive schemes introduced by the government over the years. But it did bring many things into perspective with emphasis on the girl child.
It was backed by the government and introduced by Renuka Chowdhury, the then Minister of the Women and Child Development Organization. In a short period of time, it received more than 5,000 applicants in 11 backward states in India.
Eligibility Criteria for Dhanalakshmi Scheme:
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All girl children born after November 8, 2008, were eligible for the scheme.
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All girl children, irrespective of their socio-economic status, were eligible.
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All girl children, despite the number of girl children in the family, were eligible.
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The girl child had to be an Indian resident.
Benefits of Dhanalakshmi Scheme:
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An initial cash incentive of Rs.5, 000 were given to all girl children born after November 8, 2008, and registered in the scheme and under the government.
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For girl babies between 6 weeks to 24 months, an immunization cash incentive total of Rs.1, 250 was given. It covered the cost that parents would have to bear to immunize their child in the backward states of India.
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The scheme covered the education costs of the girl child, from enrollment to retention in school till grade 8. For enrollment in school, parents were given a cash incentive of Rs.1, 000. From class 1 to class 5, a cash incentive of Rs.500 each year was given to the parents. For the secondary school education of the girl child, parents were given a cash incentive of Rs.750 every year. A total of Rs.5, 750 was given as a cash incentive to educate the girl child till 8th standard.
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To prevent child marriage, the scheme offered parents an insurance cover of Rs.1 lakh when the girl turns 18-years-old and if the girl hasn't yet been married.
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The cash incentives were conditional depending on the age of the girl. Like, if the girl child is already in Grade 1, then she is eligible to receive the cash incentives for her education and not for immunization and the birth registration.
Though, the scheme is non-existent as of now. It focused on women empowerment in the backward states of the country and had put the spotlight on girl children by highlighting the value of their life. Interestingly, more than 5000 girls were recipients of the cash incentives offered in this scheme.
