Munish Sood
Mandi
For single mother Bhawna Devi, regular assistance under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana is helping keep her children’s education on track amid financial hardship
For Bhawna Devi, ₹2,000 a month may not sound like a large amount, but for the single mother from Ambedkar Ward in Sundernagar, it has become a crucial support in keeping her two children’s education going.
Raising her son Aryan and daughter Ayesha on her own, Bhawna has been struggling to meet the expenses of the household while ensuring that neither child is forced to compromise on education. Aryan is studying in Class VI and Ayesha in Class VIII.
With limited financial resources, the cost of books, schooling and other necessities often put additional pressure on the family. It was in these circumstances that the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana brought some relief.
Bhawna came to know about the scheme through an Anganwadi worker and applied in 2024. Since then, she has been receiving ₹1,000 per month for each of her two children.
“The assistance has made it easier for me to look after my children and continue their education. Earlier, meeting all their needs on my own was difficult. Now I have some support and, more importantly, the confidence that their studies will not have to stop because of our financial situation,” she says.
For Bhawna, the importance of the scheme lies not merely in the monthly amount but in the security it provides. A regular financial support, however modest, gives her greater confidence to meet the children’s educational needs and plan for their future.
435 children benefiting in Sundernagar
Bhawna’s story is part of a larger effort to ensure that financial hardship does not force children away from education.
According to Child Development Project Officer Sundernagar Poonam Chauhan, ₹53.53 lakh has been sanctioned under the scheme for 2026-27, benefiting 435 children in the area.
Of these, 402 children are receiving assistance of ₹1,000 per month, while 33 beneficiaries are being supported for higher education.
The scheme provides eligible children with monthly assistance up to the age of 18 towards education, health and nutritional needs. The objective is to provide a safety net to children from vulnerable families and ensure that lack of financial resources does not become a barrier to their education.
Keeping the door to higher education open
The support extends beyond school education. Eligible beneficiaries between 18 and 27 years can avail themselves of free higher education in government institutions, including tuition fees, hostel and food charges.
Where hostel accommodation is unavailable, eligible students pursuing higher or professional education can receive rental assistance of up to ₹3,000 per month.
The scheme covers eligible permanent residents of Himachal Pradesh whose annual family income is below ₹1 lakh. Children of widows, divorced, deserted and destitute women, as well as children of parents with more than 70 per cent disability, are also eligible for assistance.
Eligible families can approach the office of the Child Development Project Officer in their area to apply for the benefits.
‘Every child deserves an opportunity’
SDM Sundernagar Amar Negi said welfare initiatives such as the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana and Mukhyamantri Sukh-Aashray Yojana are aimed at ensuring that children facing difficult circumstances receive opportunities for education and development on an equal footing.
For families like Bhawna’s, such support can mean much more than financial assistance. It can mean a child staying in school, a daughter being able to aspire to higher education and a mother being able to look at her children’s future with greater confidence.
In the end, the real measure of such a scheme may not be the amount disbursed, but the dreams it helps protect.
For Bhawna, ₹2,000 a month is helping ensure that her children’s circumstances today do not decide the limits of their tomorrow.
