• Only half of the applications received under ‘PM CARES for Children’ scheme for COVID orphans were approved since its launch in March 2021, according to data. 

• The ‘PM CARES for Children’ scheme is aimed at supporting children who lost their parents, a legal guardian, adoptive parents, or a surviving parent to the pandemic between March 11, 2020 to May 5, 2023.

• A total of 9,331 applications from 613 districts across 33 states and Union Territories (UTs) were received under the scheme.

• Only 4,532 applications from 558 districts in 32 states and UTs were approved, while 4,781 applications were rejected, according to the data.

• Among the states, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of applications, with 1,553, 1,511, and 1,007 applications, respectively.

• Approval rates in these states stand at 855 applications from Maharashtra, 210 from Rajasthan and 467 from Uttar Pradesh.

PM Cares for Children Scheme

• PM Cares for Children Scheme provides comprehensive care and protection of children who have lost their parents to COVID pandemic, in a sustained manner, enable their well-being through health insurance, empower them through education and equip them for self-sufficient existence with financial support on reaching 23 years of age. 

• The scheme was launched on May 29, 2021. 

• It aims to support children who have lost both the parents or legal guardian or adoptive parents or surviving parent to COVID-19 pandemic during the period starting from March 11, 2020. 

The objectives of the scheme are:

i) To ensure comprehensive care and protection of children in a sustained manner.

ii) Enable their well being through health insurance.

iii) Empower them through education.

iv) Equip them for self-sufficient existence with financial support on reaching 23 years of age.

• The ministry of women and child development is the nodal ministry for execution of the scheme at the central level. Department of the state/UT government dealing with juvenile justice set up in the state/UT is the nodal agency at state level. The district magistrates shall be the nodal authority at district level for execution of the scheme.

Implementation of the scheme

Fixed deposit

PM CARES will contribute to 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/her personal requirements during the period of higher education. On reaching the age of 23, he/she will get the corpus amount as one lump-sum for personal and professional use.

School education - for children under 10 years of age

• The child will be given admission in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.

• If the child is admitted in a private school, the fees as per the RTE norms will be given from the PM CARES.

• PM CARES will also pay for expenditure on uniform, textbooks and notebooks.

School education - for children between 11-18 years of age

• The child will be given admission in any central government residential school such as Sainik School, Navodaya Vidyalaya, etc.

• In case the child is to be continued under the care of guardian/grandparents/ extended family, then he/she will be given admission in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.

• If the child is admitted in a private school, the fees as per the RTE norms will be given from the PM CARES.

• PM CARES will also pay for expenditure on uniforms, textbooks and notebooks.

Support for higher education

• The child will be assisted in obtaining an education loan for professional courses/higher education in India as per the existing education loan norms. The interest on this loan will be paid by the PM CARES.

• As an alternative, scholarship equivalent to the tuition fees / course fees for undergraduate/ vocational courses as per government norms will be provided to such children under central or state government schemes. For children who are not eligible under the existing scholarship schemes, PM CARES will provide an equivalent scholarship.

Health insurance

• All children will be enrolled as a beneficiary under Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-JAY) with a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh.

• The premium amount for these children till the age of 18 years will be paid by PM CARES.

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