The PM CARES for Children Scheme was launched by The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 29th May 2021 for the Children. 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 11th March 2020. The objective of the Scheme is to ensure comprehensive care and protection of Children in a sustained manner, and 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.
Ministry of Women and Child Development shall be the nodal Ministry for execution of the scheme at the central level. Department of the State/UT government dealing with the Juvenile Justice set up in the State shall be the nodal agency at State level. The District Magistrates shall be the nodal authority at District level for execution of the scheme. The scheme provides support for education and health and will createa 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
form 18 years of age, for the next 5 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 scheme is accessible through an online portal i.e. pmcaresforchildren.in. The portal has been introduced to all the States and UTs on 15.07.2021 and the States/UTs have been asked to identify and register eligible children on the portal. Any Citizen can also inform the administration regarding a child eligible for support under this scheme through the portal.
- 1. Scheme :- PM CARES for Children Scheme, 2021.
- 2. Date of event :- between the period 11.03.2020 to 31.12.2021 (extended till 28.02.2022 by MWCD) during which the children who had not attained the age of eighteen years, lost both parents or last surviving parent or both adopted parents or sole legal guardian to COVID-19 pandemic.
- 3. General Rules applicable :- Government Savings Promotion General Rules, 2018.
- 4. Joint Account Holder means concerned District Magistrate, who shall act as the guardian for the purpose of operation of the account under the scheme.
- 5. Scheme guidelines :- issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development on PM CARES for Children Scheme, 2021.
- 6. Opening of Account :- Account will be opened in the name of a beneficiary with concerned District Magistrate as joint account holder for an eligible beneficiary who has not attained the age of 18 years on the date of event.Provided that a single account may be opened for a beneficiary who has turned 18 years or more on the date of opening of the account
- 7. Deposit :- The upfront lump-sum contribution shall be made in the account. For the purposes of computation of lump-sum contribution from PM CARES Fund, age of eligible beneficiary shall be the number of completed years on the upcoming date of birth on the date of opening of account.
- 8. On attaining age of 18 years of beneficiary the said upfront lump-sum will become ₹ 10 lakh and the account converted in a single account of the beneficiary.
- 9. The beneficiary will earn interest applicable to Monthly Income Account Scheme on ₹ 10 lakh and beneficiary would get monthly stipend in her/his savings account till she/he attains 23 years of age.
- 10. The beneficiary would receive a sum of ₹ 10 lakh on attaining 23 years of age.
Ruling in PDF :- Notification
