New Delhi: More than 50 per cent of the applications received under the PM CARES for Children Scheme for COVID orphans have been rejected, said officials.
The scheme, which was launched during COVID-19 pandemic in India on May 29, 2021, aims to support children who lost their parents, a legal guardian, adoptive parents, or a surviving parent to the pandemic between March 11, 2020 to May 5, 2023, reported the Press Trust of India.
According to official figures, 9,331 applications from 613 districts across 33 states and union territories (UTs) were received under the PM CARES for Children Scheme.
The data from the Women and Child Development Ministry reveals that out of the total applications, only 4,532 applications from 558 districts in 32 states and UTs were approved, while 4,781 applications were rejected and 18 are pending, reported PTI.
Some states, including Rajasthan (1,553 applications), Maharashtra (1,511 applications), and Uttar Pradesh (1,007 applications) reported the highest number of applications, the data reveals.
The approval rates in the three states are 855 applications from Maharashtra, 210 from Rajasthan and 467 from Uttar Pradesh, reported PTI.
