Balika Samriddhi Yojana BSY - Features, Application Process, Eligibility

Empowering the girl child in India begins with recognising that every girl born should be valued, educated and supported. To this end, the Balika Samriddhi Yojana (BSY) was introduced by the Government of India in 1997. This scheme targets girl children from economically weaker families and offers financial incentives from birth and during their school years.

What is Balika Samriddhi Yojana (BSY) and why was it introduced?

Balika Samriddhi Yojana is a scheme under the Ministry of Women & Child Development (India) launched in 1997 (for girls born on or after 15 August 1997) to promote survival, education and welfare of girl-children especially in BPL (Below Poverty Line) or economically weaker households. The background: in many parts of India, girl children were undervalued, their education dropped off early, and early marriage remained common. BSY aims to change this by providing both a one-time grant at birth plus annual scholarships for school to encourage families to invest in their daughters. In sum: the scheme intends to raise awareness about the value of the girl child, reduce gender bias, increase school enrolment and delay early marriage.

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Core Objectives of BSY – What the scheme sets out to achieve

Some of the key objectives as defined under BSY include:

• Encourage families in economically weaker sections to value the birth of a girl child and avoid discrimination.
• Improve enrolment and retention of girls in school,  by offering financial scholarship support for classes I to X.
• Provide a financial security path for the girl child by insisting the money be placed in an interest-earning account (in her name) and thus build a corpus for her future.
• Reduce the incidence of child marriage by making benefits dependent on the girl remaining unmarried till age 18 (in many states) and staying in education.
• Gradually shift societal attitudes, so that the girl child is seen as an asset rather than a burden.

Key Features & Benefits of BSY – What you get under the scheme

Here are the major features of BSY, described in detail:

• Post-birth grant: When the eligible girl is born (on or after 15 August 1997) in a family meeting the criteria, a one-time financial grant (commonly ₹ 500) is provided to the family.

• Annual scholarships for school education: As the girl child continues her schooling from Class 1 to Class 10, annual scholarship amounts are credited. Typical amounts (as per earlier guidelines):

  1. Class 1-3: ₹ 300 per year
  2. Class 4:  ₹ 500 per year
  3. Class 5: ₹ 600 per year
  4. Class 6-7: ₹ 700 per year
  5. Class 8: ₹ 800 per year
  6. Class 9-10: ₹ 1,000 per year

• Interest-bearing account in the girl’s name: The grant and scholarships are to be deposited in an interest-earning account (e.g., bank or post-office savings) opened in the name of the girl child. The idea is to build a small corpus for her future.

• Withdrawal rules: On maturity (when the girl turns 18 and remains unmarried in many cases) the accumulated amount can be withdrawn. If the girl marries before 18, she may forfeit the scholarship portion and only receive the base grant plus interest. If she dies before age 18 eligibility, the full amount may be paid out.

• Implementation across rural & urban areas: The scheme is implemented via the ICDS/Anganwadi network in rural areas and via Health/Urban departments in cities/slums.

• Family limit of two girls: Only up to two female children per family (born on or after 15 August 1997) are eligible under the scheme.

These features mean that if you meet the criteria, your daughter gets a head-start: support at birth, support during school, and an account that grows with interest.

Eligibility Criteria – Who can benefit under BSY?

To avail BSY, you must fulfil certain conditions. These vary slightly by state/urban vs rural but broadly include:

1. Birth date requirement: The girl child must be born on or after 15 August 1997.
2. Economic criteria of family: The family must belong to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category or Economically Weaker Section. In rural areas typically families identified under SGSY etc. In urban areas often slum dwellers, street vendors, rag-pickers are covered.
3. Maximum girls per family: Benefits are restricted to two girl children per family (born on or after the cutoff date) regardless of how many girls there are.
4. Residence & service delivery area: Both rural and urban households are eligible as long as they meet the poverty/economic criteria and are captured in the survey/list of eligible households.
5. Education condition: To continue receiving scholarships, the girl must be enrolled in school and pass the relevant class each year (up to class 10). If she drops out, scholarship eligibility ends.

In short, if you have a girl child born after the given date, you belong to a BPL/EWS family, and are willing to enroll her in school, you are eligible under BSY.

Application Process – How to Apply for BSY (Step-by-Step)

Here is how you (as a parent/guardian) can apply for Balika Samriddhi Yojana:

Step 1 – Obtain the Application Form

• For rural areas: Visit the local Anganwadi centre (ICDS) and ask the worker for the BSY application form.
• For urban areas: Go to the Health Department’s municipal office/Urban Women & Child Development office.
• Some states may allow download of the form online (check state site).

Step 2 – Fill the Form Carefully

• Complete the form with correct details: girl's name, date of birth, parents’/guardian’s name, family address, BPL card/reference, number of girl children in family etc.
• Make sure you tick that the child is born after 15 August 1997 and that the family meets BPL/EWS criteria.

Step 3 – Attach Required Documents
Usually you’ll need:

• Birth certificate of the girl child (hospital/municipal).
• Proof of residence (Aadhaar, voter ID, ration card, utility bill).
• Parent/guardian identity proof (PAN, passport, voter ID).
• BPL card or certificate of poverty/EWS status or slum area residence proof in some states.
• Copy of girl’s enrolment in school (once she starts school).

Step 4 – Submit the Form

• Submit the filled form with attached documents to the Anganwadi worker (rural) or Health Department/municipality office (urban).
• The local ICDS/municipal body verifies the form, does the beneficiary listing, and arranges the deposit of grant/scholarship to the girl’s account.

Step 5 – Benefit Disbursement & Monitoring

• After verification, the one-time grant (₹ 500) is credited to an interest-bearing account in the girl’s name.
• Annual scholarships are credited each year as long as the girl remains enrolled and passes the academic year.
• Once the girl turns 18 (and remains unmarried) then the full accumulated benefit may be withdrawn subject to rules. If she marries before 18, she receives only base grant plus interest.

Important Conditions, Limitations & What to Keep in Mind

• The scheme is strictly only for girls born on or after 15 August 1997 — earlier births are not eligible.
• Claiming benefits for more than two girls in a family is not permitted under BSY.
• The scholarship is conditional on schooling and passing each year (up to class 10). If the girl drops out early, future scholarships stop.
• Marriage before age 18 may lead to loss of scholarship benefits (though the base grant plus interest might still be available).
• Death of the girl before age 18: full accumulated amount can be granted to guardians/parents under rules.
• The amounts (grant + scholarships) are modest, typical scholarship amounts range from ₹ 300 to ₹ 1,000 per year under older guidelines; the scheme provides a modest boost rather than large sums.
• State-level implementation may vary: though the scheme is central, the actual disbursement and monitoring happen via state departments/ICDS and therefore local processes may differ.
• Funds should ideally be kept in interest-bearing accounts (NSC/PPF or similar) to build up corpus, families are encouraged to keep the deposited scholarship/grant amount earning interest.

Summary

The Balika Samriddhi Yojana is a thoughtful scheme aimed at promoting the welfare, education and future security of girl children in economically weaker families in India. With features like a post-birth grant, schooling scholarships, an interest-earning account in the girl’s name and conditional withdrawal on adulthood/unmarried status, BSY sends a strong signal that every girl’s future matters. If you meet the eligibility criteria (girl born on/after 15 Aug 1997, family BPL/EWS, schooling commitment) it’s a good scheme to support your daughter’s education and self-worth.