Kanyashree: East Burdwan awaits state honour for scheme’s progress
The Statesman | 24 July 2025
Years of sustained progress have secured East Burdwan—a district long plagued by the persistent menace of child marriage—a prominent place in the Kanyashree scheme’s successful implementation.
On 14 August, the department of women & child development and social welfare will formally honour East Burdwan for its achievements. District magistrate Ayesha Rani A remarked: “This recognition makes the entire district—beneficiaries, scheme implementers and officials—immensely proud.” She added: “It is the result of tireless efforts by Kanyashree Clubs and consistent monitoring by local officials, which have significantly reduced school dropouts and curbed child marriage through grassroots awareness campaigns and continuous engagement.”
In addition to their core work, East Burdwan’s Kanyashree Clubs have supported the growth of electoral literacy clubs, promoting participatory democracy and encouraging informed voting beyond simply casting a ballot.
Last week, the DM attended sub-divisional meetings in Katwa and Burdwan (South), held in Memari, where she underscored the need for further initiatives to intensify public awareness.
According to Sarva Siksha Mission officials, from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, East Burdwan registered 105,201 new K1 (Kanyashree – 1) beneficiaries and 20,596 K2 beneficiaries. During the same period, the district disbursed Rs 51.5 crore to K2 beneficiaries and Rs 10.52 crore to support those in the K1 category. Per project guidelines, K1 beneficiaries receive Rs 1,000 per month in financial aid, while K2 participants receive Rs 25,000 annually to support their educational expenses.
Statewide, 3.04 crore girls have been enrolled under the scheme across 18,183 registered institutions. Of these, 90.89 lakh have been identified as ‘unique beneficiaries’—unmarried girls enrolled in school who hold personal bank accounts.
When asked about the district’s tangible achievements over the past year, senior officials highlighted that from April 2024 to June 2025, East Burdwan successfully prevented 477 child marriages. Additionally, of the estimated 5,435 students at risk of dropping out, 2,895 have already been re-admitted to schools, thanks to sustained surveillance and intervention by the Kanyashree Clubs and other stakeholders.