Girl Child Education In West Bengal: Understanding The Kanyashree Prakalpa

Abstract

The Kanyashree Prakalpa was initiated by the West Bengal Government in the year 2013. Since then the scheme has seen a total of 1,88,11,141 sanctioned applications. It is a conditional cash transfer scheme which works at two stages annual payments and a OneTime Grant. The purpose of the scheme is to promote girl child education and discourage child marriage. This study seeks to look at scheme from a wholistic perspective covering other state level schemes for Girl Child Education, along with schemes applicable in the state of West Bengal and global Conditional Cash Transfer Schemes. Through this study positive aspects of the scheme in terms of its inclusivity and diversity have been identified, along with implementation issues. The scheme is distinct from other scheme for girl child education in India due to its model and universality in application. When looking at global experiences with Conditional Cash Transfer schemes, the scheme presents itself as a beacon of hope, that can significantly impact the welfare of girl children in West Bengal. The scheme finds footing on the global scale with public recognition by the United Nations along with other international agencies.