The most useful government schemes for girl child in India are the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (a high-safety savings account for a daughter under 10), merit scholarships such as the CBSE single girl child scholarship and AICTE Pragati, and state schemes that pay staged amounts from birth to adulthood. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is the umbrella campaign, but it is about awareness and does not pay cash to families.
If you are planning for a daughter's education, start with an SSY account early, then watch the scholarship windows on the National Scholarship Portal from Class 9 onwards. The sections below give the rules in plain words. More guides are on the government schemes page .
Central government schemes for girl child: summary
| Scheme | Type | Who qualifies | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) | Savings account | Girl below 10 years; account opened by parent or guardian | Post office or authorised bank |
| Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) | Awareness campaign | No individual application; works through districts | Not applicable |
| CBSE Merit Scholarship for Single Girl Child | Scholarship | Only girl child of her parents, Class 10 from CBSE with 60% or more, studying Class 11-12 in a CBSE school | cbse.gov.in when the window opens |
| AICTE Pragati Scholarship | Scholarship | Girls admitted to AICTE-approved degree or diploma courses, within the family income limit | scholarships.gov.in |
| Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya | Residential school | Girls from disadvantaged groups, mainly Classes 6 to 12 | District education office |
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY): rules parents must know
SSY is a small savings scheme of the Ministry of Finance, run through post offices and authorised banks. It suits parents who want a safe, long-term fund for a daughter's higher education or marriage.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who opens it | Parent or legal guardian, in the girl's name |
| Age limit | Before the girl turns 10 |
| Number of accounts | One per girl; up to two girls per family (a third is allowed for twins or triplets) |
| Deposit | Minimum Rs 250, maximum Rs 1.5 lakh per financial year |
| Deposit period | 15 years from opening |
| Maturity | 21 years from opening |
| Partial withdrawal | Up to 50% of the balance after the girl turns 18 or passes Class 10, for education |
| Tax | Deposits qualify under Section 80C (old tax regime); interest and maturity amount are tax-free |
The interest rate is set by the government every quarter. Do not rely on old figures from social media; check the current SSY rate on the India Post or National Savings Institute website. If you miss the minimum yearly deposit, the account becomes inactive and can be revived by paying the missed minimum amounts with a small penalty.
How to open: take the girl's birth certificate, the parent's Aadhaar and PAN, address proof and photos to a post office or a bank branch that offers SSY. Many banks also let existing customers open SSY through net banking.
Government schemes for girl child education
CBSE Merit Scholarship for Single Girl Child
This central government scheme for a single girl child supports girls who are the only child of their parents. The student must have passed Class 10 from CBSE with at least 60% marks (or the equivalent CGPA) and be studying Class 11 and 12 in a CBSE-affiliated school. The scholarship is Rs 500 a month for up to two years, paid to the student's bank account. To renew it for Class 12, she needs at least 50% marks in Class 11. There is also a ceiling on the monthly tuition fee of the school, which CBSE states in each year's notice.
The application usually opens online on cbse.gov.in after the Class 10 results. You can check marks on our CBSE Class 10 and 12 result page and keep the marksheet ready. An affidavit from the parents confirming she is the only child is part of the application.
AICTE Pragati Scholarship
Pragati supports girl students admitted to the first year (or second year through lateral entry) of an AICTE-approved degree or diploma course in technical education. The scholarship is Rs 50,000 a year for the course duration, within the family income limit and other conditions in AICTE's current guidelines. Apply on the National Scholarship Portal.
Other education help
- National Scholarship Portal: many central and state scholarships, including pre-matric and post-matric schemes, are open to girls and some have a fixed share for them.
- Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya: free residential schooling for girls from SC, ST, OBC, minority and BPL families, mainly in educationally backward blocks, under Samagra Shiksha.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: what it is and what it is not
BBBP was launched to improve the child sex ratio and support girls' education. It works through district administrations: awareness drives, better birth registration, enforcement of the law against sex-selection, and school enrolment drives. There is no BBBP form, no BBBP cash transfer and no registration fee. Messages offering "Rs 2 lakh under Beti Bachao" are fake; do not share your bank details.
State schemes: Maharashtra, Karnataka and others
- Maharashtra: the Lek Ladki Yojana gives staged payments from birth to age 18 to girls born in families with yellow or orange ration cards, subject to the state's conditions. The older Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree scheme still has existing beneficiaries. Apply through the Anganwadi or the Women and Child Development office.
- Karnataka: the Bhagyalakshmi scheme supports girls born in BPL families. Apply at the Anganwadi centre and check the latest terms with the Women and Child Development department.
- Tamil Nadu: Pudhumai Penn gives monthly support to girls from government schools who go on to higher education.
State benefit amounts are revised from time to time. Ask the Anganwadi worker or the district Women and Child Development office for the current form and amount.
Step-by-step plan for parents
- Get the birth certificate made and the girl's Aadhaar enrolled.
- Open an SSY account before she turns 10 and set up a yearly deposit you can afford.
- Register with your state's girl child scheme through the Anganwadi if your family qualifies.
- From Class 9, watch the National Scholarship Portal and CBSE notices.
- Open a bank account in her name for scholarship payments once she is old enough.
Common problems
- SSY account for a girl aged 10 or more: not allowed. Consider PPF in the guardian's name instead.
- Scholarship rejected for mismatch: the name on the marksheet, Aadhaar and bank account must match exactly.
- Lost SSY passbook: apply for a duplicate at the same post office or bank with an application and ID proof.
Mothers can find schemes for themselves in our list of government schemes for women , and older girls planning a career can look at jobs with reserved posts for women . HindiScope is not an official site; confirm details on indiapost.gov.in, cbse.gov.in or scholarships.gov.in.