Aapki Beti Hamari Beti: Empowering Girl Children in Haryana

The State of Haryana, like many regions in India, has a long history of gender imbalance. A societal preference for sons, along with practices like female infanticide, has resulted in fewer females being born. This not only violates basic human rights but also creates social and demographic imbalance.

The Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme emerged as a response to these critical issues. It aims at bringing about change in the societal attitude towards the birth of the girl child with a focus on improving child sex ratio in the state of Haryana. The initiative is targeted at improvement of enrolment and retention of girl children in schools and to assist the girls to undertake income generating activities. The scheme also focuses on raising the age of marriage for girls. Launched by the Government of Haryana in 2015, it is a welfare scheme that aims to improve the child sex ratio in the State of Haryana, which is currently heavily skewed in favour of males. 

Managed by the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) in Haryana, this scheme directly addresses Haryana’s historical gender imbalance. It offers a two-pronged approach. They are as follows:

•  Extension of Financial Assistance
•  Heralding Social Change 

By providing financial incentives to families with daughters, the scheme aims to improve the child sex ratio and discourage child marriage. This financial security empowers girl children to pursue education and potentially consolidate their future and career prospects. This is ultimately going to promote female child education and shift in societal attitudes that value empowerment of females and equality.

Under the scheme, the first female child born on or after 22nd January 2015 to a Scheduled Caste (SC) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) family will receive a one-time grant of ₹21,000. This amount will be deposited in a fixed deposit account in the name of the female child. The interest earned on the deposit can be used for her education, marriage, or other expenses. In other words,  a sum of ₹21000 is invested with Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) in the name of the 1st girl child of SC/BPL families and 2nd child of a family belonging to any caste. Upon attaining 18 years of age, the girl child will be paid with effect from 24.08.2015. Third girl child born in families belonging to any caste is also covered.

This article will shed light on the important details including eligibility requirements, benefits and other information related to the Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme.

Aapki Beti Hamari Beti: Eligibility Requirements

The family of the beneficiary must meet the following eligibility requirements so that they can avail the benefits of the Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme without any hassle.

• Parents applying under the scheme must be a resident of Haryana, or one of the parents must reside there with their girl child.
• Girl children should be enrolled in school or an Anganwadi centre according to their age.
• Families belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC) or classified as Below Poverty Line (BPL) are eligible if their first born daughter was born on or after 22nd January 2015.
• Additionally, all families with a second daughter born on or after 22nd January 2015 are eligible, regardless of caste, religion, income, or number of sons. 

(Note:- This applies to those cases who are eligible for benefits under the Ladli scheme.)

Important Points to Remember: Families with twin or multiple girl children born after 21st January 2015 (not before) will receive one-time annual grant per female child for five years. This applies regardless of caste, creed, religion, income, or number of sons, as long as they meet the Ladli scheme’s eligibility criteria. Pregnant women are encouraged to register at the nearest Anganwadi centre or with the Health Department. Additionally, registration of the birth of all daughters is mandatory.   Aadhaar number for each daughter is preferred; however, parents’ Aadhaar number parent(s) can be used during enrollment.  Parents are responsible for ensuring timely immunisation of their daughter. Immunisation records should be submitted with the application form.  The maturity benefit of the membership certificate is available to unmarried female children who are 18 years of age or older at the time of application.

Aapki Beti Hamari Beti: Benefits 

Under this scheme, the beneficiaries will be provided with the benefits mentioned below:

• Families belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) or classified as Below Poverty Line (BPL) will receive ₹21,000 if their first daughter is born on or after 22nd January 2015.
• All other families will receive ₹21,000 for their second daughter born on or after the same date (22nd January 2015), regardless of caste, creed, religion, income, or number of sons.
• Families with twins or multiple daughters born on or after 22nd January 2015 will receive ₹21,000 per female child.

The following benefits under the Aapki Beti Hamari Beti Scheme will be applicable to those who were previously eligible under the Ladli scheme:

• Families with a second daughter born on or before 21st January 2015 will receive ₹5,000 per annum for five years.
• Families with twins or multiple daughters born before 21st January 2015 will receive ₹2,500 per female child annually for five years.

Important Points: The Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme invests the money in a Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) policy for the girl child as the beneficiary. The mother will be designated as the primary contact person for the policy. If the mother is deceased, the policy will be established in the name of the girl child with the father listed as the contact person. In the absence of both parents, the legal guardian will be the contact person for the investment held in the name of the beneficiary. The money will be disbursed within one month of submitting the completed application of the beneficiary by her mother/father/guardian.

Aapki Beti Hamari Beti: How to Apply?

Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria can apply under this scheme by following the instructions provided hereafter-

Step 1: Visit the official website of the Women and Child Development Department.

Step 2: Navigate to the ‘Schemes’ option on the top left-hand side of the dashboard and click on it.

Step 3: Now, select ‘Scheme for Women’ from the dropdown menu and click on it.

Step 4: Navigate to the ‘Aapki Beti Hamari Beti’ scheme and click on it.

Step 5: Read the details carefully and navigate to the bottom of the page to download the application form. Alternatively, the application form can be obtained free of cost from the Anganwadi centre.

Step 6: Fill in the required details, attach the necessary documents, and submit the application form to the Anganwadi worker/health staff where the girl child of the applicant is studying. 

Step 7: Once they submit it to the Circle Supervisor/Medical Officer or the Women and Child Development Project Officer/Civil Surgeon. The Women and Child Development Project Officer (WCDO) or Civil Surgeon will forward eligible beneficiary cases to the District Programme Officer (DPO) of the concerned district. 

The DPO will then sanction the appropriate amount and deposit it directly to the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for investment in the name of the beneficiary. This deposit will be linked to the Aadhaar-linked bank account of the beneficiary.

Following are the documents required along with the application form for Aapki Beti Hamari Beti:

• Parivaar pehchaan patra number
• Resident proof/address proof/ownership proof (any of the following):
  • Ration card
  • Voter ID
  • Electricity bill
  • Telephone bill
• Aadhaar card of the applicant and parent(s)/guardian(s)
• A self-attested copy of the immunisation certificate
• A self-attested copy of the birth certificate 
• Domicile certificate (if applicable)
• Caste certificate
• BPL certificate

Aapki Beti Hamari Beti: Contact Details

Candidates can easily connect with the department for queries related to the Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme using the following contact details:

Women & Child Development Department

Bays No. 15-20, Sector 4, Panchkula, Haryana, 134112

Phone Number: 0172 256 0349

Women WhatsApp Helpline Number: (+91) – 9478913181

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What is the Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme?

Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme is an initiative of the Department of Women and Child Development, Haryana, India. The scheme launched in August 2015 aims to empower girl children and improve the child-sex ratio in the State of Haryana.

Who is eligible under the Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme?

In order to avail the benefits under the Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme, an applicant must be a resident of Haryana with at least one parent living there along with the girl child. Additionally, the mother should be registered at an Anganwadi center while staying pregnant, and the birth of the girl child must get registered too. Proper immunisation and age-appropriate school enrollment for the girl child is also required.

What form of financial assistance is provided?

The scheme offers one-time grant of ₹21,000 that is invested with Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) alon with some additional benefits.

Is there a dedicated department or office to contact for inquiries?

Yes, interested applicants can contact the Department of Women and Child Development, Haryana. Their website has the necessary contact details of the concerned department handling the Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme.

What happens if the female child moves out of  the State of Haryana?

The eligibility criteria under the scheme may get affected if the female child permanently moves out of the State of Haryana. It is always advisable to get clarity on this aspect with the concerned department.

What happens if a female child gets married before the age of 18 years?

The objective of the scheme is to delay marriage of the girl child until adulthood. It is unclear if early marriage may affect accessing the insured amounts. Therefore, consulting the concerned department for clarification is recommended for the applicants.