International Daughter’s Day: India’s Daughters Are Getting Empowered Through Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

Nitin Konde, Apoorva Bajj

Sep 23, 2024 — 4 min read

International Daughter’s Day- India’s Daughters Are Getting Empowered Through Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

The 'Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana' was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative. In the post offices, numerous accounts of daughters up to the age of ten years have been opened. Additionally, in many villages, accounts of all eligible daughters have been opened, and they have been declared as complete Sukanya Samriddhi Gram. On the occasion of "International Daughter's Day," on September 22nd, the Postmaster General of the North Gujarat Region, Ahmedabad, Krishna Kumar Yadav, stated that around 500 villages in the North Gujarat region have been transformed into complete Sukanya Samriddhi Grams till date.

Through the post office in these areas, Sukanya accounts have been made for all of the girls who are eligible for the program and are up to ten years old. Not only that but in these areas, the postman will rush to any house where there is a notification of the birth of a daughter to open the Sukanya account for the newborn. With this action, which is taken towards the economic empowerment of daughters, more than 4.50 lakh accounts of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana have been opened in the post offices in the North Gujarat region, while 15.22 lakh accounts have been opened in the Gujarat circle. This information was provided by the Postmaster General. Through the implementation of campaigns in a variety of schools and Dak Chaupals in rural areas, all of the girls who are eligible for it are connected to it.

"Today, daughter’s empowerment is an imperative need in our society to foster equality, inclusivity, and progress. Namdev believes in the power of giving back to the community and making a positive impact on society. Our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not just about fulfilling obligations, but about creating a more equitable and inclusive society where daughters have equal opportunities and access to resources. We truly believe that “Everyone lives for themselves but living for others is the true way of life," stated Jitendra Tanwar, Managing Director & CEO, Namdev Finvest.

Speaking about company's CSR activity to empower girls, Tanwar said that company's “Aaradhya” - Balika Shiksha Abhiyan aims to empower girls with essential life skills that capacitate them to choose for themselves a future of their choice. The key to empowerment is to have the confidence and ability to make independent decisions about one's future. fir's programme is designed to facilitate long-term, systemic change. Namdev believes that when girls are trained in crucial life skills, they are more effective in negotiating key life decisions, express their thoughts better, and are more assertive about their rights.

Dhirendra Pratap Singh, Co-founder and CEO, Milaan Foundation stated, "Started as a mere mandate of The Company Act of 2013 has now become a full-fledged social impact movement with businesses leading at the forefront of active investing in causes like financial inclusion of women, outcome-based skilling programmes, and a wide-range of scholarships and livelihood opportunities for women from severely underserved communities. This makes these girls not only the first-time learners but also and rather brilliantly the first-time earners of their communities, shifting the narrative of what women can achieve and do."

"At Milaan Foundation, we exclusively focus on with and for adolescent girls through our flagship initiative, Girl Icon Program which enables them to create long-lasting change in their own communities. We have tied up with brilliant corporate and foundation giving teams like Sony Music, Echidna Giving, Reliance Foundation, Info Edge, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Girl Rising among many prestigious others which will enable our nonprofit team to scale-up our programmes and create a deeper impact," he added further.

How 'Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana' Operates?

In order to register a Sukanya Samriddhi account, females up to the age of 10 years old are required to pay a minimum of INR 250 at any post office. According to Yadav, the amount of money that can be deposited in a single fiscal year ranges from a minimum of INR 250 to a maximum of INR 1.5 lakh. Only 15 years from the account's inception date will funds be required to be deposited in this programme.

When the daughter reaches the age of 18, she is eligible to withdraw 50 percent of the sum that was deposited into the account. After twenty-one years have passed since the account was opened, the entire amount can be withdrawn. At this time, the interest rate is 8.2 percent, and there is also a provision that allows for the amount that is deposited to be free from income tax considerations.

Giving Girl Child a Brighter Future

Additionally, according to the Postmaster General, the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is not just a means of investment, but it is also connected to the bright and prosperous future of daughters. Furthermore, the social features of this framework, in addition to the economic dimensions, are of great significance.

This sum will be reserved exclusively for the daughters, and it will be of great assistance to them in their pursuit of education, professional advancement, and marriage. Through the empowerment of daughters, this programme will also encourage the empowerment of women and the self-sufficiency of India in the future.