Kanyashree Prakalpa West Bengal: Scholarship & ₹25,000 Grant for Girls

Kanyashree Prakalpa is a conditional cash transfer scheme launched by the Government of West Bengal in 2013 and administered by the Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Department. Its aim is to keep girls in school, delay marriage until at least adulthood, and encourage higher education among girls from economically stressed families. The scheme's impact has been widely recognised — it received the United Nations Public Service Award in 2017.

The programme works in three parts. The annual scholarship (K1) supports school-going girls, the one-time grant (K2) rewards girls who remain unmarried and continue their studies at 18, and the higher education component (K3) assists girls pursuing postgraduate study. Applications are routed through the girl's school or institution and processed online, with each application carrying a unique 20-digit Application ID.

The design of Kanyashree reflects a simple idea: a small, predictable payment tied to staying in school and staying unmarried can change the trajectory of a girl's life. The annual scholarship keeps families motivated to continue a daughter's education year after year, while the larger one-time grant at 18 rewards the decision to delay marriage and move on to higher study. The higher education component then supports the smaller number of young women who go on to postgraduate courses. Together the three parts form a ladder that follows a girl from Class VIII through to advanced study.

The scheme is a conditional cash transfer, which means the money is released when the girl meets the conditions of age, enrolment and marital status. Each component targets a different stage of a girl's education, and a girl can move from the annual scholarship to the one-time grant as she grows older. The benefits below set out what is paid at each stage.

Eligibility depends on the girl's age, her stage of study, and her marital status, along with a family income test that is relaxed for orphans and certain special categories. Because the income ceiling has been revised over the years, the figure below is marked for verification and should be confirmed on the official portal at the time of applying. The following points summarise the core conditions.

Because the application is routed through the girl's institution, the documents mainly establish her age, her enrolment, and the family's income. Making sure that the name and date of birth match exactly across the birth certificate, enrolment record and bank account avoids the most common cause of delay. Keep the following ready before starting the application.

Kanyashree applications are handled through the school or institution where the girl is enrolled, which verifies her details before uploading them online. The 20-digit Application ID generated during this process is the key to tracking the application later, so it should be noted carefully. The steps below outline the journey from form to payment.

Most Kanyashree applications that run into trouble do so for reasons that are easy to prevent. Since the scheme rewards girls who remain unmarried and continue their education, the conditions around age, marriage and enrolment matter a great deal. Watch out for the following pitfalls.

Kanyashree Prakalpa was launched in 2013 and remains active. It won the United Nations Public Service Award in 2017. There is no fixed annual deadline stated here — applications are made through the girl's institution and submitted online. The income ceiling is marked for verification, so confirm the current figure and rules on the official portal before applying.

কন্যাশ্রী প্রকল্প পশ্চিমবঙ্গ সরকারের একটি শর্তসাপেক্ষ নগদ হস্তান্তর প্রকল্প (২০১৩ সালে চালু)। এর লক্ষ্য মেয়েদের পড়াশোনা চালিয়ে যাওয়া এবং ১৮ বছরের আগে বিয়ে রোধ করা। ২০১৭ সালে এটি রাষ্ট্রসংঘের পাবলিক সার্ভিস পুরস্কার পেয়েছে।

For accurate and current information, rely on official government channels rather than unofficial websites, particularly for details such as the income ceiling that can change over time. The links below point to the right places to apply and to check your status.

Official portal: wbkanyashree.gov.in. Applications are routed through the girl's school or institution and submitted online, where a 20-digit Application ID is generated for tracking. The scheme is run by the Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal. Verify the current income ceiling and rules on the official portal before applying.