West Bengal announces ₹50,000 for unmarried girl students in budget
India
West Bengal just rolled out a new scheme giving ₹50,000 to unmarried girl students studying at government and government-aided colleges.
The goal? Help more girls stay in college and make higher education easier to access.
Finance minister Swapan Dasgupta announced this during the BJP government's first budget since taking office last month.
Secondary school dropout rate 17.8% FY24
The state is tackling dropout rates: secondary school dropouts were 17.8% in FY24, better than Bihar and Assam, but still a concern.
This financial aid is part of a bigger push for education, women's welfare, and jobs in the new budget.