Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY)

The adolescent years of a girl are probably one of the most crucial in her life. She is now on the verge of becoming an adult, a woman. From childhood to womanhood, adolescence is among the most paramount and eventful years for her mental progress, emotional growth, and psychological health. However, not all girls are privileged to be brought up in a very nurturing and caring environment. With the help of Kishori Shakti Yojana, these adolescent girls are given the necessary support to help them reach their true potential.

What is the Kishori Shakti Yojana?

Kishori Shakti Yojana is an initiative for young girls aged between 11 to 18 years. Introduced by the Women and Child Development ministry, it is being carried out by the Integrated Child Development Services. 

 

It empowers juvenile girls to be more conscious of their physical and mental well-being, as well as their diet, household duties, and child care. It also enables girls to take all reasonable steps to delay getting married until they are at least 18 years old, if not even later. This scheme also imparts reading and numeracy abilities through informal education to make these young girls independent, skilled and self-reliant.

Objectives & Benefits of the Scheme 

Kishori Shakti Yojana, within the purview of ICDS, seeks to empower adolescent girls and create a nurturing atmosphere for their personal growth. KSY aims to educate and prepare adolescent girls to advance their domestic and career abilities while assisting them in gaining favourable knowledge of their social domain. 

 

The scheme encourages them to take the initiative to be valuable members of society. Apart from this, there are numerous other benefits of the KSY, which are as follows-

 

• The government provides financial assistance of up to INR 1.1 lakhs every year to each ICDS for training and health examination of the KSY applicants.

• Kishori Shakti Yojana also helps in preventing marriages of young girls in rural areas and provides sex education information to them as well.

• Under the KSY scheme, adolescent girls are provided with adequate nutritional level knowledge.

Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for Kishori Shakti Yojana are as follows-

 

1. Only adolescent girls are allowed to be a part of this welfare scheme.

2. Candidates should fall under the age of 11-18 years in order to enjoy the benefits of the KSY plan.

3. Female applicants who want to be part of this scheme should not have an annual income of more than INR 6400.

4. Girls applying for KSY schemes should belong to rural areas due to the lack of services and extreme gender inequality in these areas.

5. Female candidates who are unable to finish their education are also allowed to be a part of the KSY programme.

How to Enroll for the Scheme?

Here are the steps to enrol for the KSY scheme

 

1. Candidates are required to get an application form from the Anganwadi Center and fill in their necessary personal details.

2. They are then required to attach all the necessary documents (such as an Aadhaar card, income proof, birth certificate, and residential address) with the form for the verification process.

3. The candidates need to submit this form to Mukhya Sevika or to the head of the Anganwadi Center to complete the further process.

4. The registration forms of the candidates are sent to the District Program Controller's office, where the designated officer selects the deserving candidates.

Conclusion

India is home to over 243 million adolescents, hence, it is vital to spend on their learning, healthcare, and development. In a few years, the enormous capability of this population and economic powerhouse will be the major contributor to the country’s growth. 

 

These adolescent girls, who will become leaders, entrepreneurs, homemakers and mothers in the coming future, need to have their health and nutritional demands fulfilled efficiently to end the endless cycle of hunger, malnutrition, and inequality. The government of India is centrally working towards the Kishori Shakti Yojana (nutrition) scheme to empower young girls in every aspect.

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