Delhi Launches $670 Support for Girls' Education to Grad

Thousands of girls in Delhi are about to get a major boost in their education journey, thanks to a revamped government program launching this April.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the "Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana" on Tuesday, replacing the city's 2008 Ladli Scheme with expanded support that follows girls from birth all the way through college. The new program provides ₹56,000 (about $670) per girl, up from ₹36,000 under the old scheme.

"This scheme, which is very close to my heart, will ensure that every daughter gets an opportunity to fulfill her potential," Gupta said. "This is our investment in the future of our girls."

The program supports up to two girls per family with annual incomes below ₹1.20 lakh (about $1,440). Families receive ₹11,000 when a daughter is born, then ₹5,000 at key education milestones in Classes 1, 6, 9, 10, and 12. Another ₹20,000 comes when she completes a college degree or diploma.

With interest, the total matures to over ₹1 lakh (about $1,200) by the time a young woman finishes her education at age 21. Girls can join the program at any stage, and the entire process happens online without needing to visit government offices.

The upgrade comes with good news for families who lost track of benefits under the old system. When the current government took office, they discovered 186,000 dormant accounts holding ₹190 crore in unclaimed funds. Last year, they tracked down 30,000 beneficiaries and returned ₹90 crore to them. Another 41,000 families will receive ₹100 crore soon.

The new scheme also expands beyond Delhi's borders. Girls can now use their benefits at any government-recognized university or diploma program across India, not just in Delhi schools.

The Ripple Effect

Programs like this create waves far beyond individual families. When girls stay in school longer, they're more likely to delay marriage, have healthier children, and earn higher incomes as adults. They also become role models in their communities, showing younger girls what's possible.

Education support programs work best when they remove financial barriers at critical transition points, exactly when families might otherwise pull daughters out of school. By spacing payments from elementary school through college, Delhi is tackling dropout risk at every stage.

The move to digital registration and payment also matters. Eliminating office visits saves time for working families and reduces the chances that benefits get lost in bureaucracy, as happened with nearly 200,000 accounts under the old system.

When governments invest in girls' education, entire communities rise together.