PM Cares: Modi announces education loans, monthly stipend for Covid orphans

The students who lost both their parents due to Covid-19 will get a monthly stipend of Rs 4,000 a month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday. The monthly stipend will be disbursed under the PM Cares for Children Scheme, Modi said.

“If someone needs an education loan for professional courses, or for higher education, then PM cares will help in that too. Rs 4,000 have also been arranged for them every month through other schemes for other daily needs,” he said.

“The youth from 18-23 years of age will get a stipend every month and when they are 23 years old, they will get the amount of Rs 10 lakhs,” he added. Modi said PM Cares for Children was a reflection of the fact that every citizen was standing with them. The prime minister said that under the scheme if someone needed an education loan for professional courses, for higher education, then PM Cares would help in that too. Modi transferred scholarships to school-going children. 

Also, a passbook of PM Cares for Children, and a health card under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was handed over to children during the programme.

He said the PM Cares fund also helped a lot in preparing hospitals, buying ventilators, and setting up oxygen plants during the Covid pandemic.“Because of this, many lives could be saved and the future of many families could be saved,” he said.

He said in that atmosphere of negativity during the pandemic, India relied on its strength.

“We trusted our scientists, doctors, and our youth. And, we came out as a ray of hope, not a worry for the world. We did not become the problem, but we became the solution-giver,” he added.

He also said that coming out of the negative impact of Covid, India has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Motivating children who lost their parents in the pandemic, PM Modi said even in the biggest atmosphere of despair, “if we believe in ourselves, then a ray of light is definitely visible. Our country itself is the biggest example of this”.

He said India sent medicines and vaccines to countries around the world.

“Even in such a big country, we took the vaccine to every citizen,” he added.

“We took vaccines to our citizens; about 200 crore vaccine doses have been administered in the country,” he added.

He further said the heights that India has achieved in the last eight years, no one could have imagined earlier.

“Today, India's pride has increased in the world, our India's power has increased in the global forums. And I am glad that youth power is leading this journey of India,” he added.

The prime minister also said that the country is getting out of the vicious cycles of corruption and regional discrimination, in which it was trapped before 2014.