FREE EDUCATION, HEALTH COVER FOR KIDS WHO LOST PARENTS TO COVID

THE BENEFICIARIES SHOULD BE LESS THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE AS ON THE DEATH OF THEIR PARENTS

NEW DELHI: Free school education, assistance in getting loans for higher studies, health coverage under Ayushman Bharat scheme and a monthly stipend after attaining the age of 18 — these were among a slew of measures announced by the Centre on Thursday for children who lost both their parents to Covid-19, under the ‘PM CARES for Children’ scheme.

In a set of guidelines, the ministry of women and child development said the scheme will be applicable to children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian/adoptive parent(s) in the pandemic between March 11, 2020 and December 31, 2021. Besides, the beneficiaries should be less than 18 years of age as on the death of their parents. The scheme is expected to continue till the year when every identified beneficiary shall turn 23 years of age.

“If the foster family is not available/not willing/not found fit by CWC, or the child (aged 4 -10 years or above) is not willing to live with them, the child is considered eligible...” it said.

Under the scheme, the district magistrates will ensure that the beneficiaries are provided admissions in any nearest school as a day scholar.

For higher education, beneficiaries will be assisted with obtaining an education loan and interest will be paid from PM CARES for Children Scheme in case they are unable to clear them. A pro-rata amount will be credited upfront in the account of each identified beneficiary such that the corpus for each beneficiary becomes ₹10 lakh at the time of attaining 18 years of age.they will also be covered under PM-JAY with a health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh.