WBKANYASHREE

The scheme to improve the status and wellbeing of girls, specifically those from socio-economically disadvantaged families, through Conditional Cash Transfers by: Incentivising them to continue in education for a longer period of time, and complete secondary or higher secondary education.

The scheme "Kanyashree Prakalpa" by the Department of Women Development and Social Welfare and Child Development (DWD), Government of West Bengal, aims to improve the status and well-being of girls, specifically those from socio-economically disadvantaged families. Through this scheme, Conditional Cash Transfers are provided to incentivise girls to continue their education for a longer period and disincentivise early marriage.

> Objectives:

• Incentivising girls to continue in education for a longer period of time, and complete secondary, higher secondary, higher education, or equivalent in technical, vocational, or sports streams, thereby giving them a better footing in both the economic and social spheres.
• Disincentivising marriage until at least the age of 18, the legal age of marriage, thereby reducing the risks of early pregnancies, associated risks of maternal and child mortality, and other debilitating health conditions, including those of malnutrition.
• It was also decided that the Scheme should confer more than just monetary support; it should be a means of financial inclusion and a tool of empowerment for adolescent girls. The schemes' benefits are therefore paid directly to bank accounts in the girls' names, leaving the decision of utilisation of the money in their hands.
• To reinforce the positive impact of increased education and delayed marriages, the scheme also works to enhance the social power and self-esteem of girls through a targeted behaviour change communication strategy. The communication strategy not only builds awareness of the scheme, but includes adolescent-friendly approaches like events, competitions and Kanyashree clubs, and the endorsement of strong women figures as role models to promote social and psychological empowerment.

• The applicant should be a resident of West Bengal.
• The applicant should be enrolled and regularly attending an educational institution.
• The applicant should be unmarried.
• The applicant should be from a family where the total income is not more than ₹1,20,000/- per year.
• The applicant for the Annual Scholarship (K1) should be between the ages of 13 and 18 years.
• The applicant for the One-Time Grant (K2) should be between the ages of 18 and 19 years.
• The applicant should have a bank account opened in their own name, and the name on the application form must match the name on the bank account.
• The educational institution that the applicant is studying in must be registered in West Bengal and recognized by the government.

> Educational Institution Type Eligibility:**** The applicant will be eligible for Kanyashree's Annual Scholarship or the One-Time Grant if they are studying in any of the following:

• In Class VIII or above in a school, madrassah, or equivalent open school course.
• In a college or an equivalent open university course.
• A Vocational Training Centre, Technical Training Centre, or Industrial Training Centre.
• Girls enrolled in Sports Institutes may apply for the One-Time Grant; however, they cannot apply for the Annual Scholarship.

> Relaxations: Girls who are specially-abled (with a disability of 40% or more), or are living in a Home registered under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, or have lost both parents, may apply for Kanyashree even if their family's income is more than ₹1,20,000/- per year.

Kanyashree Prakalpa offers two types of benefits:

• Annual Scholarship (K1): A cash benefit of ₹1,000/- is paid annually to the girls in the age group 13 to 18 years (studying in Class VIII equivalent or above for every year that they remain in education, provided they are unmarried at the time.1. One-Time Grant (K2): A grant of ₹25,000/- is paid after a girl turns 18, provided that she was engaged in an academic or occupational pursuit and was unmarried.