Press Information
Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare
Scheme for Incentive to
Parents of Girl Child
The Government is not
implementing / proposes to implement any scheme to provide incentives to the
parents of girl child/ daughter in the country. However, ‘Jansankhya Sthirtha
Kosh’ (an autonomous body under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) is
providing financial benefits to the couples under the ‘Prerna Scheme’. The
details of the Scheme are given below:-
Scheme: Prerna Strategy:
In order to help push up
the age of marriage of girls and space the birth of children in the interest of
health of young mothers and infants, Jansankhya Sthirata Kosh (National Population
Stabilization Fund) - an autonomous body of the MoHFW, Govt. of India has
launched PRERNA, a Responsible Parenthood Strategy in all districts of seven
focus states namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
The strategy recognizes
and awards couples who have broken the stereotype of early marriage, early
childbirth and repeated child birth and have helped change the mindsets of the
community.
In order to become
eligible for award under the scheme, the girl should have been married after 19
years of age and given birth to the first child after at least 2 years of
marriage. The couple will get an award of Rs.10, 000/- if it is a Boy child or
Rs.12, 000/- if it is a Girl child. If birth of the second child takes place
after at least 3 years of the birth of first child and either parent
voluntarily accept permanent method of family planning within one year of the
birth of the second child, the couple will get an additional award of
Rs.5,000/- (Boy child) / Rs.7,000/- (Girl child). The amount of award is given
in the form of National Saving Certificate (NSC). The scheme is meant only for
BPL families.
Important Conditions:
1.
Couple must belong to BPL family
2.
Age of lady should not exceed 30 years
3.
The girl should have been married after 19 years
4.
First child birth after at least 2 years of marriage
5.
Second child birth after at least 3 years of the first child birth
6.
Either parent voluntarily accepts permanent method of family planning
within one year of the second child birth
If above four (S.N. 1-4)
conditions are fulfilled then payment of award:
·
Rs. 10,000/- if boy child
·
Rs. 12,000/- if girl child
If all above six
(S.N.1-6) conditions are fulfilled then payment of award:
·
Rs. 15,000/- if both are boys
·
Rs. 17,000/- if one boy & one girl child
·
Rs. 19,000/- if both are girls
Certificates Required:
1.
BPL certificate of the couple
2.
Date of birth certificate of Mother (Schools/Board/Registrar of
birth/death)
3.
Marriage Certificate of the couple (Registrar of marriages/appropriate
govt. officer/delegated authorities)
4.
Birth Cert. of 1st child (Registrar / appropriate govt. officer
registering births/death)
5.
Birth Cert. of 2nd child, if any. (Registrar / appropriate govt. officer
registering births/death)
6.
Sterilization Certificate (NSV/LTT), if any, ( Govt. Hospital)
7.
Character Cert. (Gram Panchayat)
Note: Photocopies
of all relevant documents should be attested by a gazetted officer.
Check List for
Administrators and Organizations Partnering JSK:
1.
The selection process should involve the community at all stages. However
vital events like date of birth and sterilization etc have to be checked /
certified through government sources only. The community should be satisfied
about the selection and the selected couples should be worthy of being seen as
Role Models for Responsible Parenthood.
2.
While identifying the eligible couples, there is a need to examine the
reason for the girl’s marriage at 19 years. If the reason supports the girl’s
health, education or skill learning then the selection is worthwhile. In case
it was due to extraneous factors, the girl should not be included. It is very
important that the PRERNA ‘Role models’ should inspire confidence and not
create controversy.
3.
The upper age limit for eligible married women should be below 30 years.
There is no age limit for the husband but younger is better.
4.
Care needs to be taken while selecting an eligible couple. The girl’s
marriage should be 19 years (not 18) and the first child should be born when
the mother’s age is more than 21 years. Likewise the second child should be
born after a 3 years gap and there should be documentary evidence of
sterilization after the second child.
5.
Marriage and Birth registration is compulsory. In case supporting
documents are not available, proper certification regarding birth and marriage
from authorized sources is necessary to claim the Award.
6.
The eligible couples should not have any criminal record which points to
unsuitability.
7.
Payments are made in the form of a National Saving Certificate to be
issued by the local post office and given by the Collector personally along
with wide press coverage and messages about the health of the mother and health
of the child. (JSK will supply material relevant to the district on request).
JSK-Prerna Strategy 3
8.
The strategy can be implemented by NGO’s or Community level organizations
or through Anganwadi workers, ANMs, ASHAs. Funds will be released after the
couples are selected and documents have been checked by JSK.
9.
Rupees 500 per awardee couple will be paid to the organization that
helped identify the couples and got the authentication done on the
recommendation of the District Collector/CM&HO. This amount would be paid
only at the award ceremony.
10. The amount of
award will be transferred in the dedicated bank account “JSK-PRERNA” opened in
respective State Health Society, through cheque/electronic.
11. Payment to Post
Office would be through account payee cheque for purchasing National Saving
Certificates (NSCs).
12. The award
ceremony should be organized within the month when award amount received.
13. A team to be
constituted by District Collector for verification of 10% of total cases and
verified list sent to JSK.
14. List of the
beneficiaries to be counter signed by the District Collector after verification
from CMO/CM&HO/Civil Surgeon.
15. A verification
certificate may be issued by the district collector office
Partners:
JSK seeks to implement
its strategy in all districts of seven states namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh with different
partners.
The Health Minister, Shri J P Nadda stated this in a written
reply in the Lok Sabha here today.
