The Centre has announced free education from Class V to XII in CBSE-affiliated schools for every girl who is the only child in her family. And the “only girl child” will also get a Rs 2,000 per month scholarship for postgraduate studies in any recognised institute in the country. But these will be for a limited number of girl students. These university level students will be called “Indira Gandhi scholars” to perpetuate the memory of the former prime minister. The major initiative comes into being this financial year. The initiative extends the benefit of free education at least for the only girl child beyond government-run schools. Now any school seeking affiliation to the CBSE will have to give a total fee waiver for every girl who is the only child of her parents. The schools can, however, charge for transport and food. If the only two children in a family are girls, the fee concession will be split into two each girl will get a 50 per cent waiver. At the higher education level, the UGC will implement the scholarship scheme. The government announced a series of other scholarships for graduate studies, some of them given by the CBSE on the basis of marks obtained at the school-leaving examination

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