Peer-reviewed article
Understanding the Prospects and Challenges of Kanyashree Prakalpa on Adolescent School-Going Girls: A Study of Chanchal Block in Malda District, West Bengal
Rupa Biswas, Ms. Poulami Mukherjee, Ms. Esha Shastri ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study evaluates Kanyashree Prakalpa, a conditional cash transfer scheme in West Bengal, India, designed to promote girls' education and delay early marriage among low-income adolescents. The scheme improved school retention for 63% of girls but was less effective at reducing child marriage, with nearly half reporting low impact. Key barriers included low awareness of the scheme, complex application procedures, irregular fund disbursement, and banking access issues.
Key points
- 63% of respondents perceived high or very high impact on educational attainment
- Nearly 50% rated effectiveness in reducing child marriage as low or very low
- 56.5% of participants reported low awareness of the scheme
- Major implementation challenges included procedural complexities, irregular fund disbursement, and banking issues
- Recommendations include strengthening awareness, simplifying applications, ensuring timely disbursement, and improving financial inclusion
Limitations
The study was limited to Chanchal Block in Malda district, so findings may not generalise to other regions with different socioeconomic conditions or programme implementation contexts. The study does not provide longitudinal data on long-term educational or marriage outcomes beyond the period of data collection.
Abstract
Kanyashree Prakalpa is a conditional cash transfer scheme launched by the Government of West Bengal to promote girls' education and delay early marriage, particularly among adolescents from low-income families.This study examines the impact of the scheme on adolescent school-going girls in Chanchal Block, Malda district-an area marked by high rates of child marriage and educational discontinuity.The study aims to understand the significance of the scheme on educational attainment and early marriage on beneficiaries.Furthermore, it intends to investigate the obstacles that the beneficiaries experience.A descriptive mixed-methods design was adopted.Quantitative data was collected from 120 adolescent school going girls using structured interview schedule, and qualitative data were obtained through a focus group discussion with parents.Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.Findings revealed that while 63% of respondents perceived a high or very high impact of the scheme on their educational attainment, nearly half rated its effectiveness in reducing child marriage as low or very low.Key challenges included low awareness (reported by 56.5% of participants), procedural complexities, irregular disbursement of funds, and banking issues.The Kanyashree Prakalpa has contributed to improved school retention among adolescent girls but has had limited success in addressing early marriage.Strengthening awareness efforts, simplifying application processes, ensuring timely fund disbursement, and enhancing financial inclusion are critical for maximizing the scheme's effectiveness and reach.