The Punjab Government has launched various schemes, policies and Initiatives for the welfare of all the sections of the society and people of Punjab. The following are the important schemes/initiatives launched by Punjab Government :

Government Schemes/Initiatives for Women :

Bebe Nanki Ladli Beti Kalyan Scheme :

• It was launched by Punjab government in 2011, under which benefit of Rs. 20000 is provided at the birth of the girl child.
• This amount is invested in the name of the child with the LIC and enhanced payments are made available to the girl at various stages of life. This benefit is restricted only up to two girls per family. The main objective of the scheme is to curb female foeticide and to provide better education to girls.

Mata Kaushalaya Kalyan Scheme :

• The scheme was launched by Punjab government in 2011, to increase the number of institutional deliveries in the Government Hospitals, under which Rs. 1000 cash incentive is provided to all mothers who undergo institutional deliveries in Government hospitals.
• From 8th July, 2015, the state government has discontinued this scheme.

Shagun Scheme :

• It was launched by Punjab government in 1997-98 for Scheduled caste and Christian girls. Under the scheme, Rs. 15000 is provided on the marriage of scheduled caste and Christian girls who are above the age of 18. This scheme is provided to those families whose annual income is less than Rs.20000 for rural areas and Rs. 27500 for urban areas.
• In 2017, the goverment has changed the name of this scheme to `Ashirwad'. The government has also enhanced the grant from the current level of Rs. 15000 to Rs. 21000 w.e.f 01.07.2017.
• The scheme is being provided to Scheduled Caste/Backward Class/Christian Girls/Widows/Divorcee and daughters of Widows of any caste at the time of their marriage. The payment mode has been replaced with Online Banking Management System to bring to transparency in the scheme.

Mai Bhago Istri Shakti Scheme :

• It was launched in 2007 by Punjab Cooperation Department, with an aim to empower women especially in rural areas in Punjab. Under the scheme individual or group of women would be provided loans at 5 % per annum by Agricultural Societies where women societies will be so arranged as to engage them in various kinds of economic activities to improve their and their families' financial position and also to give them self respect and confidence.
• The objective of the scheme is to strengthen their activities through training at convenient places and to provide hassle free credit and assistance. The scheme also envisages creation of backward & forward linkages by creating a supply chain for providing raw material to women entrepreneurs with the help of apex/state level organizations.

Kanya Jagriti Jyoti Scheme :

• Scheme was launched in 1996-97 in Punjab State, to uplift the social status of the girls and to reduce the school drop-out rate. The girl child born on or after 26.01.96 in the families living below poverty line or whose annual income is below Rs. 20,000 and are adopting two children family norm are covered under the scheme.
• The beneficiary will have to study up to metric. An amount of Rs. 5000 is deposited at the time of the birth of girl child. Beneficiaries are paid annual scholarships of Rs. 1200 and Rs. 2400 for the beneficiaries in the age group of 6-12 years and 12-18 years respectively or lump sum amount at the age of 18 or on 21 years as decided by the family. This amount is to be finalized by the LIC at the age of 18 or 21 years. This scheme is being implemented by the Department of Social Security.

Balri Rakshak Yojana :

• It is a welfare scheme for the cause of the girl-child, has been launched in Punjab in 2007, with the objectives of encouraging the birth of girls to balance the skewed sex-ratio in the state, motivating couples to adopt terminal method of sterilization in order to stabilize growth rate of population, reducing Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) & Maternal Mortality Rate OMR) by reducing the number of pregnancies and to further bring down Total Fertility Rate.
• This scheme is being implemented by the Department of Health Family Welfare. An incentive of Rs. 500 per month will be given to the female Child provided the parents adopt terminal method of sterilization after the birth of only one girl. An incentive of Rs. 700/- (Rs. 350 + Rs. 350) will be available for two girls provided the family adopts terminal method of sterilization after the birth of the second girl-child (only if the first child is also a girl-child). The incentive will be available till the age of 18 years unless the beneficiary becomes an income tax assessee.

Nanhi Chaan :

• It is an initiative of the Ranbaxy group and later adopted by Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, MP from Bathinda, was launched on 27th August 2008. It is a novel experiment for protection of girl child and our fragile environment.
• The aim of this project is to create awareness against female foeticide and dwindling number of trees.

Scheme of 'Strengthening of Girls Schools in Punjab' :

• Education is the cornerstone of women empowerment. But many of our girl students especially in rural area miss school for lack of basic facilities like girls toilet. To ensure that no girl student misses education due to lack of basic facilities in schools, the Punjab Government has launched a scheme of `Strengthening of Girls Schools in Punjab'.
• Under this scheme, 121 Government High Schools/Senior Secondary Schools in 144 CD blocks are being strengthened in terms of basic infrastructure. The state government has allocated Rs 20 crore under this scheme for 2015-16.

Swasth Kanya Yojana :

• To improve the health and educational status of girls, the state government has launched a new scheme namely `Swasth Kanya Yojana' in 2016-17. Under this scheme, the government will provide free school bags containing stationery items to girl students from 1St to 12th classes. These bags also contain 'Benefit Eligibility Card' showing benefits being provided to girls under various schemes.
• The girls studying from 6th to 12th in all government schools will also be provided `Kanya Health Care Kits' on monthly basis. schools. The government shall also promote distribution of these kits through vending machines in schools.

Nanhi Chaan Skill Centres :

• In order to promote women to become financially independent, `Nanhi Chaan Skill Centres' are being set up in rural areas by the state government for training of women in various skills to improve their employability.

Special Women Patrolling Teams :

• For women safety, the state government has decided to constitute Special Women Patrolling Teams for carrying out Patrolling around schools, colleges, market places, malls and multiplexes. These teams carry out intensive Patrolling around these places to prevent eve teasing, stalking, molestation and other crimes against women.

Mahila Shakti Kendras :

• The Government has approved a new scheme namely Mahila Shakti Kendras (MSK) for the implementation upto 2019-20. The scheme will provide an interface for rural women to approach the government for availing their entitlements and for empowering them through awareness generation, training and capacity building.
• Student volunteers will encourage the spirit of voluntary community service and gender equality. These student volunteers will serve as 'agents of change' having a lasting communities and the nation.

Shakti Application :

• Shakti, a women safety mobile application, is being launched by the state government. By which, women in distress can alert their relatives and local police through a single click on the mobile.

Concessional Travel Facility to Women above the age of 60 years :

• The state government is providing the concessional travelling facility on half fare in the Punjab Roadways and PRTC buses to women above the age of 60 years.

Government Schemes/Initiatives for Education :

Bhai Jaita ji (Shaheed Baba Jeewan Singh ji) Scheme :

• It was launched by Punjab Government. Under this scheme free text books are provided to all the students up to class 8th in government schools.
• Recently, the scheme has been extended to backward class and economically weaker families' students also. The aim of the scheme is to make the elementary education free in the spirit of RTE Act.

Residential Meritorious Schools :

• To provide quality education to meritorious students of poor families, the state has set up 7 residential schools with total capacity of 6200 students in the districts of Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala and Hoshiarpur.
• Three more schools in the districts of Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Sangrur have been constructed and will become operational in the academic year 2016-17. These schools are imparting free education in English medium to meritorious students of class 11th and 12th.

Free Text Books :

• All school students from Class 1st to 12th studying in government schools are being given all requisite text books free of cost by the government.

Dr. Hargobind Khurana Scholarship Scheme :

• To encourage the young children further for excellence in academics, Dr. Hargobind Khurana Scholarship Scheme was launched on 1st August, 2013. A total of 5522 brilliant students who have scored at least 80% marks in class 10th examination, have been selected for annual scholarship of Rs. 30,000 per student.

Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab :

• ‘Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab' scheme was launched in Punjab during the year 2017.The aim of this scheme is to improve the performance of weak students and create equal opportunities for these students in comparison to the other students.
• ‘Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab' programme focuses on enhancement of creativity of the brilliant students and emphasises to strengthen their capabilities. It also lays stress on educating each child and emphasise on their understandings of concept instead of rote learning. This project also aims to add on new techniques, supplementary material, school planning, and new revision of curriculum, support activities etc. Students are encouraged to learn without fear or burden.
• Easy methods are applied in class activities through ‘Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab' approach. Adequate priority is being given to the advice of educationists and teachers while making amendments in innovation, technique, support material and curriculm.

Maharana Pratap Chair at Punjabi University, Patiala :

• As a act of gratitude to one of the great sons of our country, the state government has decided to set up a Maharana Pratap Chair at Punjabi University, Patiala.

Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme :

• Punjab Government has started an important scheme, `Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme'. Under this scheme, meritorious students studying in Government Polytechnic Colleges are being provided 70% to 100% scholarship as per their competence.

Skill Development University :

• To provide gainful employment to youth of the State, Government has decided to establish a Skill Development University in the name of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji at Chamkaur Sahib for employment oriented training.

Green Boards in Government Primary, Secondary and High Schools :

• Inadequate quality of Teaching Boards (blackboards) is one of the reasons that the teachers find it difficult to teach the students. To overcome this hurdle, Green Boards are being provided in all Government Primary, Secondary and High schools.

Smart Schools :

• The environment of the school makes a lot of difference in the way students identify themselves with the school. Thus, one existing school in every educational block is being converted into a smart school having state of the art facilities.

Pre-Primary Classes :

• The state government has taken an initiative of its own kind which is a first in the country. It has started Pre-Primary Classes in all the Government Primary Schools w.e.f. 14.11.2017. Around 1.60 lakh children of age group 3-6 years have been enrolled in pre-primary classes in 2017.

Wifi for Government Schools :

• The state government has decided to provide Wi-Fi services in all the schools in association with private partners. All the schools will be covered under this scheme by 2020.

Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme :

• Punjab government has launched ambitious scheme to provide free bicycle to all girl students studying in class 9th and 12th in all government schools to encourage them for further study and to reduce the school dropout rate.

Free Education to Girls :

• Under the scheme, attendance scholarship is provided to Primary girl students and free education to girls of 9th to 12th class.
• To enhance the girls enrolment in the schools at all levels i.e. from primary to senior secondary level, all the schools in the state are being covered with separate girls' toilets.
• To promote menstrual hygiene and reduce dropout of girl students, free sanitary napkins are being provided to all girl students from class 6th to to 12th in all government schools.

Central Institute for Punjabi Promotion :

• To preserve & promote the Punjabi language, the state government has decided to set up a Central Institute for Promotion and Development of Punjabi Language at Talwandi Sabo. This institute will undertake activities like digitization and Standardization of Punjabi Language, research, translation of significant works of Punjabi to other languages and vice-versa.

Urdu Academy at Malerkotla :

• It is being upgraded, for the promotion of Urdu language.

Central State Library at Patiala :

• It is being upgraded as an e-library of national standards.

Maharaja Agrasen Chair At Punjabi University, Patiala :

• The state government has decided to set up a Maharaja Agrasen Chair at Punjabi University, Patiala to document the role played by the Agrawals in economic development of Punjab.

Government Schemes/Initiatives for Health :

The Bhagat Puran Singh Bima Yojana :

• It has been launched to provide cashless medical treatment through smart cards to 28 lakh Blue Card Holder families in addition to 11 lakh marginal farming families, 2 lakh small traders and 2 lakh construction workers.
• Under this scheme, the health insurance cover of Rs 50000/- per annum per family plus Rs 5 Lacs cover for accidental death and complete disability for head of family is being provided. The scheme provides protection to economically weaker households from financial liabilities arising out of health shocks that involve hospitalization.

Bhai Ghanhiya Sehat Sewa Scheme :

• For the vast majority of rural population of Punjab, the cost of health care particularly inpatient care, is a significant barrier in accessing professional healthcare in time of need. Very often, the cost of treatment pushes the people to economic ill health. Normally, individuals when hospitalized borrow money or sell their assets to cover the cost of hospitalization which pushes them into debt trap.
• The Bhai Ghanhiya Sehat Sewa Scheme aims to provide viable means of improving access to quality health services for rural community at affordable cost. The main objective is to provide cost effective quality health care facilities to the members and employees and their dependents of Cooperative Institutions and Cooperative Societies through an Insurance backed Scheme.

Bhai Ghaniya Insurance Scheme :

• The Bhai Ghaniya Insurance Scheme providing medical cover of Rs. 1.5 lac was restricted to the members of cooperative societies only, is now open to every resident of the state.

Punjab State Blood Transfusion Council :

• Punjab Government has allotted appropriate funds for treatment of persons affected with HIV/ AIDS and generating awareness and for providing funds to Punjab State Blood Transfusion Council for making access to safe blood and promotion of voluntary blood donation programme.

Mission Indradhanush :

• The Punjab Government has launched 'Mission Indradhanush' on 7 April 2015 (marking World Health Day) to achieve a target of getting 90 percent infants covered in the state under the complete immunization programme by 2020.
• During the mission all left out children below two years and expectant mothers would be covered with the vaccination programme. Four Districts in Punjab - Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Muktsar and Pathankot have been identified under the complete immunization programme.

Universal Health Insurance Scheme :

• A new re-structured Universal Health Insurance Scheme is being introduced, also covering tertiary care treatment which was previously not covered and was causing bigger financial shocks due to hospitalization.
• In addition to this, primary care and secondary care coverage will be there along with accidental and disability cover. The scheme will help in a big way in the reduction of Out of Pocket Expenditure of the masses in the State of Punjab, which are quite high.

Health and Wellness Clinics :

• The State has planned to transform approximately 3000 centres in rural and urban areas as `Health & Wellness Clinics'. These Clinics will ensure preventive as well as limited curative services. The programme will be implemented in a phased manner and 200 centres will be made operational in 2017-18. Adequate provisions in this regard have been made under the National Health Mission scheme.

Rashtriya Baal Swasthya Karyakaram :

• It is a new initiative aiming at early identification of early intervention for children from births to 18 years to cover 4Ds i.e. Defect at Birth, Deficiencies, Diseases and Development delays including disability for 30 diseases. Twice a-year, screening of the children in Aaganwari Centres, Government and Government Aided schools is done for 30 diseases through dedicated Mobile Health Teams.
• Identified children suffering from any disease are sent for advanced screening at 5 District Early Intervention Centres and treatment of such children is being provided free of cost even up to Medical College level, Government hospitals/Empanelled Private hospitals and PGI Chandigarh.

Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund (Mulch Mantri Punjab Cancer Rahat Kosh) :

• It provides assistance of Rs. 1.5 lac for treatment of cancer in various governments and empanelled private hospitals to all those cancer patients who are residents of Punjab state. Infrastructure for treatment of cancer in all the three government medical colleges is being upgraded.

State Cancer Centre :

• For providing better health care for cancer patients, a State Cancer Institute at Amritsar and a Tertiary Cancer Centre at Fazilka are being constructed.

Punjab State Board for De-addiction and Rehabilitation :

• This board has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Hon'ble Chief Minister, Punjab which will supervise the work relating to drug de-addiction and rehabilitation in the state. The Board includes eminent medical professionals and prominent civil society representatives.
• Similarly, in each district, a drug de-addiction and rehabilitation society has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner of the respective Districts. Civil Surgeon, Psychiatrist, District Social Security Officer and SSP are other members to supervise these efforts.
  The State Government has decided to establish Primary Rural Rehabilitation and Drug De-Addiction Centres in the state.

Government Schemes/Initiatives for Employment :

Rozgar Atey Karobar Bureaus :

• The Bureaus are being established in all the districts to carry out fresh surveys for preparation of Annual Employment Plans and its time bound implementation. These Bureaus will also help the unemployed youth and underemployed to access employment, education training, upgrading skills and other support services to succeed in the labour market and also to match the requirements of the employers.
• The District Bureaus will be run in a professional manner and will have support cells facilitating on line registration, development of entrepreneurs and overseas employment.

Shaheed Bhagat Singh Rozgar Sirjan Yojna - Apni Gadi Apna Rozgar :

• To provide self employment/entrepreneurial avenues to youth of Punjab in Transport sector, the State Government has launched a new scheme Shaheed Bhagat Singh Rozgar Sirjan Yojna - Apni Gadi Apna Rozgar. Under the scheme, a tie up with international operators like M/s Ola and M/s Uber has been made and it is envisaged that 3 lac jobs would be created during the next 5 years under this scheme.

Shaheed Bhagat Singh Rozgar Sirjan Yojna - Hara (Green) Tractor Scheme :

• Under this scheme, a tractor along with other agriculture implements will be given to 25,000 youths for self-employment in agriculture services.

Shaheed Bhagat Singh Rozgar Sirjan Yojna - Yaari Enterprises :

• The State Government , had decided to launch another scheme namely Shaheed Bhagat Singh Rozgar Sirjan Yojna - Yaari Enterprise to address unemployment. Under this scheme, either the individual or the group of individuals can identify any enterprise for which the State Government will provide all necessary assistance. The State Government has decided to give a 3% interest subvention to the youth. The detailed scheme is being prepared in consultation with the banks. It is envisaged that the additional 1 lac jobs would be created under this scheme during this year.

Ghar-Ghar Rozgar :

• The State Government has taken a major initiative to start a new scheme Ghar-Ghar Rozgar to provide employment to unemployed youth through career guidance, counseling and vocational training through Mega Placement Drive/ Mega job fair. Under the scheme Government has provided jobs to 84000 un-employed youth by organizing job Melas.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Services Preparatory Institute at Mohali :

• It has been set up to prepare +1 and +2 students for National Defence Academy (NDA) Exam.

Mai Bhago Armed Forces Services Preparatory Institution (for girls) Mohali :

• It has been established to provide training to girls for recruitment as commissioned officer in Armed forces after +2 level.

Marine Academy at Rupnagar :

• It is being established to tackle the problems of unemployment.It will provide training to about 600 students from science background to prepare them for various trades of navy.

General Sham Singh Attariwala Armed Forces Preparatory Institute at Amritsar :

• It is being established for preparing youth to join Armed forces.

Employment Commission :

• An Employment Commission is being set up under the chairmanship of the Hon’ble Chief Minister to review and monitor the employment generation schemes in the state.

Punjab Naujawan Hunar Vikas Yojana :

• The government has decided to launch a new scheme Punjab Naujawan Hunar Vikas Yojana with an objective to provide free skill training to the unemployed youth in the age group 18-35 years at any of the Skill training centres. The scheme will specifically focus on Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, specially-abled, women and school dropouts.
• Rs. 10 crore has been earmarked for this scheme in 2018-19.

Carrier Counseling of SC Students :

• The students studying in 9th to 12th class, has been launched at district level in 2015-16 to make SC students aware about the subjects to be selected and job avenues. This scheme is being extended to government as well as private schools at tehsil and block levels during 2016-17.

Government Schemes/Initiatives for Social Welfare :

Atta Dal Scheme :

• It was launched by Punjab Government on 15th August, 2007. Under this scheme, the identified families whose annual income is less than Rs. 30000, are being distributed : 5Kg. of Wheat per member per month @ Rs. 4/kg. (maximum 25kg. per family per month) and 1/2 kg. of Dal per member per month @ Rs. 20/kg. (maximum 2.5kg. per family per month).
• This scheme was launched to meet the basic food related needs of economically weaker sections of the society. These families have been issued special blue ration cards for distribution of wheat and dal. Monthly checking norms have also been fixed for all the field staff in order to ensure that the beneficiaries get good quality food grains at the fixed rate, as per their entitlement.

New Atta Dal Scheme :

• It has been launched in December, 2013 by the Government of Punjab. Under this scheme identified beneficiaries whose annual income is less than Rs. 60,000, are being distributed: 5Kg. of Wheat per member per month @ Rs. 2/kg. (maximum 25kg. per family per month) (Under NFS Act, 2013) and 1/2 kg. of Dal per member per month @ Rs. 30/kg. (maximum 2.5kg. per family per month) (by the State government). After identifying new beneficiaries on the basis of increased limit of annual income to Rs. 60,000, the numbers of benefited families have been increased from 15.40 lakhs to 36.31 lakhs.

Smart Ration Card Scheme :

• The State Government has renamed New Atta Dal Scheme as Smart Ration Card Scheme during 2017-18 under which Smart Ration Cards are being given to the beneficiaries. The Atta Dal Scheme has also been restructured with the introduction of e-Pos machines which ensures efficient distribution of subsidized foodgrains.
• Wheat is being procured for this scheme under De-Centralized Procurement (DCP) and the same is being stored at 269 dedicated DCP godowns and distributed through 16738 Fair Price Shops under its bi-annual distribution model with the approval of Government of India to the beneficiaries in 30 kg sealed bags at the rate of Rs. 2 per kg.
• The Priority Household category beneficiaries get 5 kg wheat per month whereas the Anna Antodaya Yojna category families get 35 kg wheat per month. The State Government has to distribute 8.70 lac MT wheat annually to 141.45 lac beneficiaries.

Old Age Pension Scheme :

• The Punjab Government has decided to credit the old-age pensions and financial assistance under other social security schemes directly into accounts of the beneficiaries. This decision has specifically been taken to facilitate the beneficiaries living in the rural areas of the state.
• Under this Scheme, pension is granted to women of 58 years of age and above and to men of 65 years of age and above. The Punjab Government has also raised the annual income limit for eligibility for pension and other social security schemes to Rs. 60000 and the beneficiaries could now avail the benefit of these social security schemes by furnishing a self certificate in this regard.
• To avail the benefit of pension the applicant should not be in government or private employment, and should not have annual income more than Rs. 60000 from any source, including interest/rental income. Further, the applicant would also need to provide a self-certificate that he/she does not have more than 2.5 acre Nehri/Chahi land, or 5 acre Barani land ownership and 5 acre land in waterlogged area (including husband & wife).

Facilities to Senior Citizens :

The senior citizens attaining the age of 60 years and above get the following benefits :

• Three seats per bus are reserved in Punjab Roadway/PRTC buses.
• Separate queues are maintained for senior citizens in all the OPDs in civil hospitals.
• Separate queues are maintained for senior citizens for payment of electricity/water bills.

Free Travel Facility to Blind Persons and Concessional Travel Facility to Handicapped Persons :

• The state government is providing free travelling facility to blind persons and concessional travelling facility to handicapped persons in the Punjab Roadways and PRTC buses.

Monthly Pension Scheme for old age persons, dependent children, disabled persons and destitute women:

• The state government has enhanced this pension from Rs. 500 per month to Rs. 750 per month.

Financial Assistance to Acid Attack Victims :

• To provide security and financial assistance to all the acid attack victims in order to make them self-reliant, the state government has announced Financial Assistance to Acid Attack Victims Scheme in the Budget of Punjab 2017-18. Under this scheme, financial assistance of Rs. 8000 per month will be provided to the acid attack victims.

Free Units of Electricity to Freedom Fighters :

• The state government has decided to provide 300 units per month free of cost electricity to every freedom fighter's home.

Reservation for Backward Class :

• For the empowerment of the Backward Classes, the government has increased the reservation quota for Backward Classes from 5% to 10% for admission in Educational, Technical & Professional Institutions. Further, the State Government has increased the family income limit for Backward Classes from Rs. 6 lac to Rs. 8 lac per annum.