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.
*****
MV/BK