Nanda Gaura Yojna: Scholarship for girls: Uttarakhand Government Schemes: In a significant step to promote girl child welfare and empowerment in the hill state of Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has successfully transferred substantial financial assistance to the bank accounts of 33,251 girl children under the Nanda Gaura Yojana through Direct Benefit Transfer or DBT during the financial year 2025-26. The direct transfer of Rs 1,45,93,00,000 (One hundred forty-five crore ninety-three lakh rupees) was accomplished with a single click, demonstrating the state governments commitment to improving social equity and encouraging families to support the education and wellbeing of their daughters. In total, so far more than 3,77,784 girls have received benefits amounting to over Rs 11,68,49,00,000 (Eleven billion sixty-eight crore forty-nine lakh rupees) under the scheme.
Eliminating Gender Discrimination at Birth
At a programme held at the Chief Ministers residence, CM Dhami emphasized that the youth government is fully committed to ending discrimination between boys and girls right from birth. Under the Nanda Gaura Yojana, the state government provides Rs 11,000 when a girl child is born and a further Rs 51,000 to support her higher education after passing the twelfth grade. This combined financial incentive aims to promote institutional childbirth, discourage harmful practices such as female foeticide, and ensure that families invest in girls education and future opportunities.
Strong Focus on Higher Education and Jobs
The Chief Minister also highlighted that the Nanda Gaura Yojana does not stop at financial support alone. It complements other policies, such as the provision of 30 percent reservation for women in government jobs in Uttarakhand, to strengthen womens economic participation and professional status. By facilitating access to higher education and employment, this initiative is expected to create a more gender-inclusive society and improve womens representation across public sectors in Uttarakhand.
Overview of Beneficiaries and Officials
At the event, the Department Minister Rekha Arya mentioned that among the beneficiaries this year, 5,913 are newborn girls while the remaining 27,338 have received the amount after completing twelfth grade. Officials including the Secretary Chandresh Kumar and Directorate Head Banshi Lal Rana were present to oversee the distribution process and extend their best wishes to all the beneficiaries of the scheme.
