Scheme To Support Covid Orphans Received Over 5000 Applications For Help: WCD Ministry

The PM CARES for Children scheme to support children who have lost parents or guardians to the coronavirus pandemic has received 5491 applications, of which 3049 have been approved, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani informed Parliament on Friday.

In reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Irani said the PM CARES for Children scheme was started to support children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents due to COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme is accessible through an online portal i.e. pmcaresforchildren.in. The applications of such children are uploaded on the portal by the State or UT Governments.

"As on 02.12.2021, 5491 applications have been uploaded on the portal out of which, 3049 applications have been approved by District Magistrates after due process and 483 applications are pending for approval," she said.

The scheme provides support for education and health and will create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each child when he or she reaches 18 years of age. This corpus will be used to give a monthly financial support/ stipend from 18 years of age, for the next five years to take care of his or her personal requirements during the period of higher education and on reaching the age of 23 years, he or she will get the corpus amount as one lump-sum for personal and professional use.

The minister said that her ministry is implementing a centrally sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme under which support is provided to States and UT Governments for delivering services for children in need and difficult circumstances. The Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the CPS scheme support inter-alia age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc. and equally covers rural and urban children.

As per the scheme guidelines, quantum of sponsorship of Rs 2000/- per child per month is available for Non-institutional Care of children in Need of Care and Protection and the provision for maintenance grant of Rs 2160 per child per month for children living in Child Care Institution.

-With PTI Inputs