Uttarakhand Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Uttarakhand Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana is a state government welfare scheme that supports children who lost their father, mother, or guardian to COVID-19 or other diseases between 1 March 2020 and 31 March 2022. Implemented by the state’s Women Empowerment and Child Development Department, the scheme was approved on 11 June 2021. 

The state launched the Scheme because the COVID-19 pandemic and other diseases left a large number of children without parents or a guardian. Priority was given to the care, rehabilitation, and protection of these children’s property, inheritance, and legal rights. The objective of the Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana is therefore to provide care, rehabilitation, financial support, and protection of movable and immovable property, inheritance, and legal rights to affected children from birth up to 21 years of age.

The biggest benefit of the scheme is monthly financial assistance of ₹3,000 for each selected child until the child turns 21. The government pays this amount through DBT. For a child below 18 years, the money goes into a joint bank account of the child and the Fit Person/guardian, and after 18 years it goes into the beneficiary's own bank account. All benefits under the scheme apply from 1 July 2021. Along with money, the scheme also arranges guardianship, free legal aid through the District Legal Services Authority, succession certificates, and regular monitoring of the child's ancestral property by the District Magistrate.

The Vatsalya Yojana works through a clear chain of responsibility. A Naib Tehsildar/In-charge Naib Tehsildar works as the Nodal Officer in every tehsil to identify affected children and get their applications prepared. The District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) then assesses each child's situation, and the Child Welfare Committee or the District Magistrate's committee decides on care arrangements. A committee chaired by the District Magistrate finally selects beneficiaries for financial assistance. The District Probation Officer's office receives applications offline, and the application process is completely free.

Only permanent residents/original residents of Uttarakhand can apply. Children whose surviving parent works in government service, receives an old pension or family pension, or falls within the income tax bracket do not qualify for financial assistance. In the 2026-27 budget, a provision of approximately ₹2 crore has been made for the Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana.

While Uttarakhand’s Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana provides monthly financial assistance, care, and legal protection to children who lost their parents or guardians, the Central Government runs a separate scheme called the NPS Vatsalya Scheme, which enables parents or guardians to open a National Pension System account for their children to secure their long-term financial future. You can check the complete details of the scheme here.

Scheme Benefits

The Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Scheme provides selected children with monthly financial assistance, along with comprehensive care, rehabilitation, and legal protection support. Beneficiaries under this scheme are entitled to the following benefits:

• Monthly Assistance: ₹3,000 per month as maintenance allowance until the beneficiary turns 21.
• DBT Payment: Below 18 years, the amount goes into a joint account of the child and the Fit Person/guardian; after 18 years, it goes into the beneficiary's personal account.
• Restricted Use: No other transaction takes place in this account, and the money is used only for the child's maintenance.
• Care Within Family: The Child Welfare Committee prefers to keep the child with the family or extended family; otherwise, it arranges alternative care.
• Guardianship: The DCPU helps the caregiver apply to the competent court/authority for guardianship within 15 days.
• Free Legal Aid: The DCPU provides help, including free legal assistance through the District Legal Services Authority, to protect the child's ancestral property, inheritance, and legal rights.
• Succession Certificate: The DCPU gets the succession certificate issued through the competent court.
• Property Protection: The District Magistrate keeps a record of the child's movable and immovable property, reviews it monthly and yearly, and protects it from sale, mortgage, or encroachment. The tehsil also physically verifies the property in the first fortnight of January and July every year.
• Regular Monitoring: The DCPU reviews each child's well-being every fortnight, and the District Magistrate/Chairperson of DCPU reviews cases every month.

Institutional Care Provision

A child who has nobody to look after them, or whose guardian is unwilling to care for them, is declared a "child in need of care and protection" by the Child Welfare Committee and gets admission to a government/registered child care institution. Such a child does not receive the monthly financial assistance, but gets all other support under the Vatsalya Scheme.

Eligibility Requirements

A child must meet the following conditions to receive financial assistance under the Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana.

• The child must be a permanent resident/original resident of Uttarakhand.
• The beneficiary must be between the age of birth and 21 years.
• The death of the parent(s) or guardian must have occurred between 1 March 2020 and 31 March 2022 due to COVID-19 or other diseases.
• The scheme covers children who face any one of these situations:
  • One parent died during this period, and the other parent had already died earlier.
  • The earning member of the family (father or mother) died during this period.
  • The parents had already died earlier, and the child's guardian died during this period.

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted along with the application form, when applying for Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana.

• Birth certificate or any other age-related document of the child
• Permanent residence certificate of the child
• Aadhaar card number of the child (if available)
• Death certificate of the father and/or mother (if deceased)
• Aadhaar card numbers of the father, mother, and guardian
• Permanent residence certificate of the person the child lives with/guardian
• Bank Passbook

Steps to Apply

Applicants can apply for the Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana offline through the District Probation Officer’s office of the concerned district. The entire process is completely free of cost. Applicants may follow the steps given below to complete their application.

• Visit the District Probation Officer's office in your district or contact the Naib Tehsildar of your tehsil.
• Get the application form for financial assistance under the Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana.
• Fill in the child’s details: name, DOB, religion, caste, Aadhaar, addresses, education, and health status.
• Fill in parents’ details: DOB, living/deceased status, date & cause of death, occupation, income, and Aadhaar.
• Mention who the child lives with, their relationship, address, and mobile number.
• If both parents have died, fill in the guardian’s name, relationship, age, gender, Aadhaar, occupation, and address.
• Enter the child’s bank account details (account number, bank name, IFSC, branch).
• Provide details of parents’ movable and immovable property.
• Attach required documents, sign the form, and submit it at the District Probation Officer’s office.

Identification and Verification

• The Nodal Officer identifies affected children with the support of Panchayati Raj institutions, village-level child protection committees, Anganwadi workers, teachers, ANM/ASHA workers, local NGOs, Childline 1098, block officials, and public representatives.
• The Nodal Officer personally ensures that applications and all related documents for government assistance are prepared.
• The Nodal Officer immediately shares the details of the identified child with the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), while the tehsil maintains updated records.
• The DCPU contacts the child either virtually or in person within 24 hours of receiving the information.
• The DCPU assesses the cause of death, the family's social and economic condition, sources of income, the child's education, property, bank and insurance details, any disability (if present), and the caregiver's particulars.
• The DCPU submits the assessment report to the Child Welfare Committee and produces the child before the Committee within 24 hours wherever possible. The Committee then conducts an inquiry under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
• The DCPU also submits the assessment report to the District Magistrate. A committee chaired by the District Magistrate reviews the report and decides on the child's care and protection needs.

Selection Process

• A district-level committee, chaired by the District Magistrate, selects the beneficiaries.
• The committee members include the Chief Development Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Education Officer, District Supply Officer, and District Programme Officer, with the District Probation Officer serving as Member Secretary.
• Once selected, the beneficiary receives monthly assistance of ₹3,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Relevant Links

• Uttarakhand Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana Application Form
• Women Empowerment and Child Development Department, Uttarakhand
• Guidelines of Uttarakhand Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana

Contact Information

• Women Empowerment and Child Development Department CDPO Contact Details
• WECD, Uttarakhand DPO Contact Details