New Delhi, 01 March (H.S.):

In a major boost for women's and girls' economic empowerment, the Delhi government is set to receive official endorsement for its flagship scheme as President Droupadi Murmu inaugurates the 'Delhi Lakhpati Beti Yojana' on Monday, March 2.

The launch will headline a grand event themed 'Sashakt Nari Samriddh Delhi' (Empowered Women, Prosperous Delhi) at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, organized by the Women and Child Development Department. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described the initiative as a symbol of the government's unwavering commitment to gender empowerment, evolving from the existing Ladli scheme to address rising education costs and future-oriented needs.

Under the revamped program, eligible families will see ₹56,000 deposited in stages into the girl's name—from institutional birth (previously ₹11,000) or home birth (₹10,000), plus ₹5,000 at key milestones like Classes 1, 6, 9 entry, Class 10 pass, and Class 12 entry. With interest, this corpus is projected to mature beyond ₹1 lakh by age 21, payable upon completing graduation or a vocational diploma from any UGC-recognized or government-approved institution in India.

The goal is to make higher education the norm, not the exception, Gupta stated in a Sunday release .Fully digital and transparent, the fund will be managed by SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd. via its Dhanrashi instrument, with maturity proceeds transferred directly to the beneficiary's Aadhaar-linked bank account.

Eligibility targets families with annual income below ₹1.2 lakh, Delhi residency for three years, and girls born in Delhi; limited to two living girls per family, with registration within one year of birth or at milestones.

Legacy Ladli Boost: 'My Capital, My Right'Adding to the festivities, 40,642 eligible beneficiaries under the original Delhi Ladli scheme—launched in 2008 to promote girl child birth and education—will receive ₹100.25 crore via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) as pending maturity amounts under 'Meri Punji Mera Adhikar' (My Capital, My Right). This ensures seamless, efficient payouts to Aadhaar-linked accounts, bridging gender gaps through structured financial aid at educational junctures.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar