Delhi Launches Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana for Girls’ Education Support

The Delhi government has announced a new financial assistance programme for girls from economically weaker families, titled the Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana. Set to begin on April 1, the scheme is designed to reduce school dropouts linked to financial stress and to build a savings cushion that matures as girls reach higher education milestones or adulthood.

What the New Scheme Promises

Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana offers staged deposits totalling ₹56,000 across a girl’s schooling and higher education pathway. With interest accrued over time, the deposited amount is expected to grow to around ₹1 lakh. The money will be credited to an Aadhaar-enabled bank account in the girl’s name, strengthening direct benefit delivery and traceability.

The final matured amount is intended to support educational continuity and early-life financial security. The maturity condition is linked to either turning 21 or completing graduation or a diploma, whichever occurs earlier, creating an incentive for families to keep girls enrolled beyond secondary school.

Phased Payments Linked to School Milestones

The assistance is structured around key transition points where dropout risks often rise. Deposits include ₹11,000 at birth and ₹5,000 on admission to Class 1. Additional ₹5,000 deposits are scheduled on admission to Classes 6, 9, 10 and 12. A further ₹20,000 is planned after completion of graduation or a diploma.

This staggered model aims to nudge regular enrolment and progression, while ensuring that support is not limited to a single one-time payout. Importantly, the final payout remains available even if higher education is pursued outside Delhi.

Eligibility Rules and Coverage Limits

The scheme applies to girls born in Delhi, with families required to have lived in the city for at least three years. Annual family income must not exceed ₹1 lakh, and benefits are limited to two daughters per family. These filters are intended to focus public funds on households with the greatest financial vulnerability, while preventing duplication and leakage.

Important Facts for Exams

• Conditional cash transfer schemes often link payouts to education and health milestones to curb dropouts.
• Direct Benefit Transfer models typically require identity-linked bank accounts to reduce delays and leakages.
• Delhi’s earlier Ladli Yojana was launched in 2008 as a girl child welfare and education support scheme.
• Income and residency criteria are common targeting tools to prioritise EWS beneficiaries in state schemes.

Why Ladli Yojana Is Being Discontinued

The government has said the new programme replaces the Ladli Yojana, citing gaps such as unclaimed or pending funds due to documentation and procedural issues. A beneficiary identification drive has been initiated to trace pending cases, release eligible dues, and clean up backlogs. The shift to a redesigned scheme signals an attempt to improve uptake, ensure timely disbursals, and make long-term education-linked support more predictable for eligible families.