Centre to give Rs 5 lakh insurance to children who lost both parents to COVID-19

The Center will provide free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh to all children up to 18 years of age, who lost both parents due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was announced by Union Youth Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur on August 4.

In a tweet posted to the social media platform detailing the benefits of the scheme, Thakur said the insurance will be done under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and its premium will be paid for by the PM-CARES fund.

“Children up to 18 years of age, affected by COVID-19, will receive free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh Ayushman Bharat scheme and its premium will be paid by PM Cares,” Thakur’s office Twitter account wrote. (tweet translated from Hindi)

The post also attached an image detailing the specifics of the initiative to “provide care and protection to children affected by COVID-19”:

– Help will be provided by PM Cares to children who have lost parents or legal guardians or adoptive parents due to COVID-19.

– Such children will get monthly stipend till the age of 18 years and on attaining the age of 23 years will get a fund of Rs 10 lakh.

– This scheme is available online at pmcaresforchildren.in.

– Children up to 18 years will be given free health insurance of Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat and its premium will be paid by PM Cares.

– The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act provides protection to children in distress.

Notably, Ayushman Bharat, the government’s flagship scheme, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2018, while the PM-CARES for children scheme was launched on May 29, 2021.

The scheme aims to support children who lost both their parents or adoptive parents or legal guardians to COVID-19 from March 2020. Moneycontrol