Rs 100,000 Incentive for Graduate Women in Marin Gaupalika
Marin Rural Municipality in Sindhuli will provide an incentive allowance of Rs 100,000 this year to girls and unmarried women who have completed a bachelor’s degree and marry, as well as to those who remain unmarried.
To reduce child marriage, the municipality will extend the allowance to girls who marry after completing age 20 and a bachelor’s degree, and to unmarried women. The municipality stated that the program aims to curb child marriage and expand access to higher education for disadvantaged groups.
Call for Applications and Budget
The municipality issued a 15-day public notice calling for applications on Thursday. According to Rural Municipality Chair Bimarsha Moktan, a budget of Rs 500,000 has been allocated for this year.
He said, “We have invited applications and will assess how many applications are received. After verification, we will provide a cash allowance of Rs 100,000 per eligible applicant.”
All applicants who meet the criteria and file within the period will receive the allowance, he added.
Program Background and Purpose
The municipality prepared procedures and began this work by including it in policies and programs from fiscal year 079–080. The program was introduced to control the increasing trend of marrying off schoolgirls before completing lower grades.
The program has encouraged parents to support their daughters in attaining higher education. “In our municipality, the practice of girls marrying while still studying in lower grades was more common,” he said. “Due to family economic hardship, their access to higher education was limited after marriage. Therefore, we introduced this program to provide access to higher education and develop them as capable citizens.”
Eligibility and Conditions
Beneficiaries will receive the allowance only once.
To receive the allowance, applicants must:
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Be unmarried at the time of application.
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Have permanent residence within the rural municipality.
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Have studied at a campus operating within Marin Rural Municipality.
The municipality provided the allowance to two girls/women in fiscal year 081–082 and to five in fiscal year 080–081.
Sindhuli