Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces Rs 10 lakh fund, free education for kids orphaned due to COVID

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 29, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired an important meeting on Saturday to discuss and deliberate on steps which can be taken to support children who have lost their parents due to Covid-19. PM announced a number of benefits to children impacted by the current COVID Pandemic.

While announcing these measures the Prime Minister emphasized that children represent the future of the country and the country will do everything possible to support and protect the children so that they develop as strong citizens and have a bright future.

The PM said that in such trying times it is our duty, as a society, to care for our children and instill hope for a bright future. All children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian/adoptive parents due to Covid 19 will be supported under ‘PM-CARES for Children’ scheme.

He also added that the measures being announced have only been possible due to the generous contributions to the PM CARES Fund which will support India’s fight against COVID-19.

1. Fixed Deposit in the name of the child:

PM CARES will contribute through a specially designed scheme 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 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.

2. School Education: For children under 10 years

• 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, text books and notebooks.

3. School Education: for children between 11-18 years:

• 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 or 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 uniform, text books and notebooks.

4. Support for Higher Education:

• The child will be assisted in obtaining 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.

5. Health Insurance

• All children will be enrolled as a beneficiary under Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-JAY) with a health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakhs.
• The premium amount for these children till the age of 18 years will be paid by PM CARES.

In addition to the measures announced under PM CARES for Children- Empowerment of Covid affected children, Government of India has announced further measures to help families who have lost the earning member due to Covid. They will provide pension to families of those who died due to Covid and an enhanced & liberalised insurance compensation.

PM said that his Government stands in solidarity with their families. He also said that through these schemes, efforts are being made to mitigate financial difficulties that may be faced by them.

• Family Pension under Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)
• To help family live a life of dignity and maintain a good standard of living, benefit of ESIC pension scheme for employment related death cases is being extended to even those who have died due to Covid. Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to the benefit of pension equivalent to 90% of average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms. This benefit will be available retrospectively with effect from 24.03.2020 and for all such cases till 24.03.2022.

• Employees Provident Fund Organization- Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI)

The insurance benefits under the EDLI scheme have been enhanced and liberalized. Apart from all other beneficiaries, this will in particular help the families of employees who have lost their lives due to COVID.

• Amount of maximum insurance benefit has been increased from ₹ 6 lakh to ₹ 7 lakh
• The provision of minimum insurance benefit of ₹ 2.5 lakh has been restored and will apply retrospectively from 15^th February 2020 for the next three years
• To benefit families of contractual/ casual workers, the condition of continuous employment in only one establishment has been liberalized, with benefit being made available to families of even those employees who may have changed jobs in the last 12 months preceding his death.

Detailed guidelines of these schemes are being issued by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Source: PIB