New Delhi: Three days after the Central government announced a slew of measures for the children orphaned by the COVID pandemic, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to furnish details of the scheme announced by PM for children who have become orphan due to COVID-19 pandemic. The top court also asked the Centre to provide information on monitoring of scheme for orphans for which money would be provided from PM CARES Fund.
The apex court also asked the state governments to keep updating NCPCR portal with information about number of children orphaned due to COVID-19. It will hear a plea on Monday on the matter.
On May 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a number of welfare measures for children who lost their parents to COVID-19, including ensuring a corpus of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 23 years of age and providing for their education.
Chairing a meeting to deliberate on steps which can be taken to support such children, he said they will be supported under the “PM-CARES for Children” scheme.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement that fixed deposits will be opened in the names of such children, and the PM-CARES fund will contribute through a specially designed scheme to create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each of them.
This corpus will be used to give a monthly financial support or 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. On reaching the age of 23, they will get the corpus amount as one lump-sum for personal and professional use.
While announcing these measures, Modi emphasised that children represent the country’s future and the government will do everything possible to support and protect them 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 instil 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 said, according to the statement.
For higher education, children will be assisted in obtaining education loan for professional courses or higher education in India according to existing norms. The interest on this loan will be paid from the PM-CARES fund.
As many as 577 children across the country were orphaned after their parents succumbed to COVID-19, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani had said earlier this week citing reports of states and union territories from April 1 till May 25.