Rajasthan increases incentive for intercaste marriages to Rs 10 Lakh: Must-know details
Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has issued a notification in this regard.
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JAIPUR: In a move to promote social harmony and unity, the Rajasthan government has doubled the incentive for intercaste marriages under the Dr. Savita Ben Ambedkar Intercaste Marriage Scheme.
As per Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s budget announcement, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has issued a notification in this regard.
Effective immediately, couples entering into intercaste marriages will now receive Rs 10 lakh, up from the previous incentive of Rs 5 lakh.
Under the revised scheme, Rs 5 lakh will be placed in a fixed deposit for eight years, while the remaining Rs 5 lakh will be deposited in a joint bank account for the newlyweds. The scheme, launched in 2006, initially provided couples with Rs 50,000, which was increased to Rs 5 lakh in April 2013.
The central and state governments jointly fund the incentive, with the state government contributing 75% and the central government covering the remaining 25%. In the last financial year, the government released Rs 33 crore 55 lakh under the scheme, and over Rs 4 crore 50 lakh in the current year.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the scheme, at least one partner must belong to the Scheduled Caste category and neither partner can be older than 35 years of age or have a criminal conviction. Additionally, the couple’s combined income must not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh per annum, and they should not have received financial benefits from any other central or state government scheme.
The application for the incentive must be submitted within one year of marriage and is only available for the couple’s first marriage. Proof of marriage should be submitted in the form of a marriage registration certificate issued by the competent authority or officer’s office.
