The Uttar Pradesh government's Marriage Grant Scheme has extended financial assistance to more than 1 lakh daughters from Other Backward Classes (OBC) families in the financial year 2025-26, according to official data.
The scheme, aimed at supporting economically weaker households, provides a one-time grant to eligible families to help meet marriage-related expenses. In the current financial year, over 1.16 lakh beneficiaries have received assistance, with a total outlay of ₹232 crore.
Targeted Support With Eligibility Conditions
Under the programme, a financial grant of ₹20,000 is provided per beneficiary. The scheme is limited to families with an annual income of up to ₹1 lakh. Authorities have also set minimum age criteria—18 years for women and 21 years for men—as part of the eligibility requirements.
Officials say preference is given to applicants from vulnerable categories, including differently-abled individuals, widows, disaster-affected families and landless households.
Online Process, Direct Transfers and Oversight
Applications for the scheme are processed online and can be submitted within 90 days before or after the date of marriage. Verification is carried out digitally by designated officials—Block Development Officers in rural areas and Sub-Divisional Magistrates in urban centres.
Funds are transferred directly to beneficiaries' bank accounts through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), a mechanism intended to reduce delays and limit intermediary involvement.
A district-level committee headed by the District Magistrate oversees the selection process. The panel includes administrative officials as well as elected representatives or their nominees.
Since the 2023-24 financial year, Aadhaar authentication has been made mandatory for applicants and beneficiaries to address concerns around duplication and ineligible claims.
Director of the the Backward Class Welfare Department, Umesh Pratap Singh, said the scheme continues to provide financial assistance to eligible OBC families for daughters' marriages through direct transfers.
Author : ABP Live News