Monthly stipend till age 18, other schemes to support children orphaned due to COVID

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that all children who have been rendered orphan due to COVID-19 will be supported under the 'PM-CARES for Children’ scheme.

"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," Modi said.

The measures were announced after a high-level review meeting chaired by PM Modi to discuss and deliberate the steps which can be taken to support children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The Prime Minister's Office in an official statement announced a slew of measures to support the children, it says the children will get a monthly stipend from PM-CARES fund once they turn 18-years-old and a fund of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 23.

The statement said 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 when he or she reaches 18 years of age.

Other benefits announced: 

* Children to get a monthly stipend once they turn 18 and a fund of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 23 from PM CARES

* Free education to be ensured for children who lost their parents to Covid

* The children will be assisted to get an education loan for higher education and PM CARES will pay interest on the loan

* The children will get free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat till 18 years and premium will be paid by PM CARES.

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.