The government is continuously taking many big steps to break down the walls of caste discrimination in the country and to increase brotherhood and unity in the society. In this context, the Central and many state governments have come forward and are providing huge financial assistance to newly married couples doing inter-caste marriages. Under this government scheme, couples are given cash assistance ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh, so that they can start their new life with financial strength. Let us know what are the conditions that have to be fulfilled to avail the benefits of this scheme.
What are the terms and conditions of this scheme?
The first and main condition to avail the benefit of this scheme is that one of the partners of the marrying couple should belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, while the other partner should belong to the non-SC i.e. General or OBC (OBC) category. Apart from this, it is very important that this is the first marriage of both of them. If it is the second marriage of any of them, then they will not be considered eligible for this scheme. This step of the government is proving to be a boon for the youth who are moving forward by breaking the old stereotypes of the society.
Registration of marriage is legally mandatory
Just taking seven rounds is not enough, but to avail the benefits of this government scheme, it is equally important for your marriage to be legally registered. Your marriage must be legally registered under the 'Hindu Marriage Act, 1955' or the 'Special Marriage Act'. Without a valid certificate you will not be able to apply for this scheme.
Pay special attention to the application deadline
If you or someone you know has had an inter-caste marriage, you will have to take special care of the timing. You will have to submit your application for this scheme within exactly 1 year of the completion of the marriage. If this time limit of one year is passed, after that your application will not be accepted by the department, so complete the entire process as soon as possible.
Which scheme gives such a huge amount?
For your information, let us tell you that for this noble work, 'Dr. Ambedkar Foundation through 'Dr. Ambedkar Social Integration Scheme' is run. Apart from this, many other states of the country including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh also run 'Inter-caste Marriage Promotion Scheme' at their level. According to the states' own rules and budget, the amount of assistance given can vary from Rs 50 thousand to Rs 5 lakh.
The main objective of this entire scheme is to eradicate the gap of untouchability and caste based differences from the society forever. If you or any couple around you completely fulfill all these conditions, then they can easily apply by visiting their state social welfare department office or the official website of the central government and take full advantage of this scheme.
