Details

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.

Benefits

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.

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.

Eligibility

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.

Application Process

Offline

Step 1: Obtain the application form from the educational institution where the applicant is studying.

For the Annual Scholarship, request the K1 form, which is printed on light green paper.

For the One-Time Grant, request the K2 form, which is printed on light blue paper.

If you have previously received a K1 and are still below 18 years and fulfilling other conditions (renewal), get in touch with your Head of Institution (HOI), who will verify your unmarried status and age and process your renewal.

If you have received K1 and have crossed 18 years (up-gradation), collect a pre-printed K2 Up-gradation form from the institution, fill it up, and submit it. Do not fill up the colored K2 form if you have already received K1, as you will be treated as a duplicate applicant.

Step 2: Open a bank account in your name :

You must have a bank account in your name when applying for the Scheme. This is because Kanyashree’s benefits will be sent by the government DIRECTLY to your bank account. If you do not have a bank account, ask your institution’s head teacher to assist you in opening one.

Please ensure the spelling of your name do not differ in the bank account and that of the application form.

Step 3: Fill up the application form :

You or your parents need to fill up all the details in the form. Again, your teachers and head teacher may be approached to help if you are not sure what to do. Your form needs to be signed by several people – check page 3 of the application form.

Caution:

Check the spelling of your name that you are going to enter in the application form. It must be the same as that of your bank account.

Please enter your mobile number correctly because you will get updates regarding the status of your application on your mobile number entered in the form.

Put your signature on pages 1,2, and 3 of the form.

Preserve the acknowledgement form for further tracking of your application.

Step 4: Provide Necessary Documents:

Submit photocopies of the required documents (refer to the “DOCUMENTS REQUIRED” section).

Step 5: Collect Acknowledgement Receipt:

The Kanyashree application form has a tear-off section on Page 3 titled “Acknowledgement as per WBRTPS Act 2013.” When the completed application form is submitted to the Head Teacher, they will fill in the details, sign it, apply an official stamp, tear off that portion, and hand it over to the applicant. Keep this acknowledgement slip carefully as it contains the Form No., name, and other details, serving as proof of application for Kanyashree.

Track Your Application: Once the complete application with all supporting documents is handed over to the institution, the application is uploaded onto the Kanyashree Portal. Applicants can track their application status on the portal using their Form No. (found on the Acknowledgement Slip). If the applicant changes institutions after receiving the annual scholarship, the previous Head of Institution must transfer the Kanyashree record online to the new institution to enable processing of further applications.

Documents Required

Birth Certificate (mandatory for K2; for K1, school record certification allowed if unavailable initially)

Unmarried Status Declaration (signed by parent)

Family Income Certificate (not required for those eligible under the relaxed criteria)

Disability Certificate (only for specially-abled applicants, if applicable)

Death Certificates of Parents (if both parents are deceased, along with guardian’s statement)

Juvenile Justice Act Home Residence Proof (if applicable)

Bank Passbook Copy (showing name, account number, and address)