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Johnson & Johnson seeks nod for vaccine trials on children in India.
India is the second worst-hit country in terms of Covid-19 infections after the S. As of May 30, the virus has killed 3,25,972 people in the country. While the recovery rate has increased to over 90 per cent, India continues to see thousands of deaths every day. The coronavirus outbreak that began in December 2019 has orphaned many children in the country and numerous families have lost their earning members. The Centre has announced a number of welfare measures for such orphaned children under PM CARES for Children- Empowerment of Covid affected children, including ensuring a corpus of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 18 and providing for their education. In addition, the government has decided to provide pension to those families who have lost their earning members due to the Covid-19 and an enhanced and liberalised insurance compensation, a Prime Minister's Office (PMO) statement said.
Further, the government has extended the benefit of Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) pension scheme for employment related death cases to include those who have died due to Covid. "Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to the benefit of pension equivalent to 90 per cent of average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms. This benefit will be available retrospectively with effect from March 24, 2020 and for all such cases till March 24, 2022," the statement said, as quoted by the IANS.
The insurance benefits under the Employees Provident Fund Organization- Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) scheme have also been enhanced and liberalized to help families of employees who have lost their lives due to Covid will. In particular, the government has increased the amount of maximum insurance benefit from Rs six lakh to Rs seven lakh. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has issued the detailed guidelines of these schemes.
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Many states are also preparing schemes following the union government suggestion to launch such a scheme for the care and well-being of children orphaned due to Covid -19.
Karnataka on Saturday announced the 'Chief Minister's Bala Seva Scheme' for the welfare of such children, including monthly financial assistance of Rs 3,500 for the guardians. Also, children below 10 years and not having guardians will be put under childcare institutions and they will be provided mentorship for their overall development, according to the scheme.
For orphan girls who have completed 21 years of age, Rs one lakh will be given for their marriage expenses, higher education and self-employment, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said on Saturday announcing the scheme.
On the same day, the Assam government also launched "Chief Minister's Sishu Sewa Scheme" to provide financial assistance and other support to the orphaned children. Under the new scheme, the state government will provide a monthly scholarship of Rs 3,500 per month to those children who have lost their parents or the bread earner, but have their extended family members. Children who do not have extended family members would be given free residential educational facilities, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.
Further, he said an orphan girl would be given 10 gram gold under Arundhati scheme and Rs 50,000 to each girl during her marriage.
With inputs from agencies