NEW DELHI: Over half of PM CARES for children scheme applications for COVID-19 orphans have been rejected, officials said Tuesday.The Ministry of Women and Child Development received 9,331 applications from 613 districts across 33 states and union territories (UTs). However, only 4,532 applications from 558 districts in 32 states and UTs were approved.Ministry officials said that while 4,781 applications were rejected, 18 are pending approval, without sharing the reason behind the rejection.Launched at the peak of COVID-19 cases in India on May 29, 2021, the PM CARES for Children scheme aims to support children who lost their parents, a legal guardian, adoptive parents, or a surviving parent to the pandemic between March 11, 2020, and May 5, 2023.Among the states, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of applications, with 1,553, 1,511, and 1,007 applications, respectively.The approval rates in these states are 855 applications from Maharashtra, 210 from Rajasthan, and 467 from Uttar Pradesh.Officials said that a year after the scheme was launched, the ministry received 9,042 applications from 33 states and 611 districts, of which 4,345 applications were approved in 2022.In parliament last year, former Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said that over 4000 children who lost both parents and surviving parents due to the COVID-19 pandemic are being supported under the PM CARE scheme.
Source link
