NEW DELHI: A total of 3,855 children orphaned during the Covid-19 pandemic have been approved as eligible for benefits under the 'PM-CARES for Children' scheme till now, the government said on Wednesday.
Responding to a written question in Rajya Sabha, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said that of the total 6,624 applications received for support under the scheme, 3,855 have been approved.
The highest number of 1,158 applications were received from Maharashtra, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 768, Madhya Pradesh with 739, Tamil Nadu with 496 and Andhra Pradesh with 479, according to data shared by Irani.