The Bhagini Nivedita Scheme has been sanctioned by the West Bengal Cabinet, under which single ladies who are studying further will get ₹50,000 assistance in the span of three years. The scheme was launched by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on October 5, 2026. The West Bengal Cabinet has sanctioned 14,454 appointments in government departments. Monthly remuneration of Karmabandhus has been enhanced from ₹5,000 to ₹8,000 while the food allowance of SC/ST students of government hostels has been enhanced.
What is the Bhagini Nivedita Scheme?
The Bhagini Nivedita Scheme is an initiative of the government of West Bengal which aims at offering financial help to unmarried women who are in pursuit of further studies. As per the scheme announced structure, each eligible beneficiary will be provided with ₹50,000 in three years.
This will not be in one-time payments but will be offered in three installments to eligible beneficiaries. The scheme will offer benefits for further education of women.
The government has announced the overall benefit structure and timeline for implementation. Other details like eligibility criteria, procedure to apply, required documents etc. will be separately announced.
Bhagini Nivedita Scheme: Yearly Financial Assistance
As per the scheme, financial assistance will be offered through different installments over the span of three years.
| Years | Financial assistance |
| First year | ₹17,000 |
| Second year | ₹17,000 |
| Third year | ₹16,000 |
| Total | ₹50,000 |
Two installments together make up ₹34,000 of the total assistance while the last installment of ₹16,000 makes it ₹50,000.
The scheme will start working throughout the state from January 2027 onwards.’
Who Are the Beneficiaries of the Scheme?
The specified beneficiaries of the scheme are single women who are pursuing their education in West Bengal. However, the government has not yet provided the full list of eligibility criteria for the scheme in the currently available information.
Some of the important details which have to be clarified are as follows,
- Courses for which students would be eligible
- Age and domicile, if any
- Income limitations of the family, if any
- List of documents needed for the application process
- Website and procedure for submitting the application
- Procedure for releasing installments
Till the release of the complete guideline, none of these criteria must be assumed.
West Bengal Approves Recruitment to 14,454 Government Posts
In addition to the above scheme, the Cabinet has also approved the recruitment to 14,454 government posts in various departments.
According to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, the recruitment process would be over in six to eight months’ time. Examinations and recruitment for the new positions would be conducted by the State Public Service Commission and State Police Recruitment Board, respectively.
The posts shall include various departments like forest department, fire service, prisons and Home and Hill Affairs.
Recruitment and Appointment Letters for Police Posts
Chief Minister further informed that the formalities regarding appointments for 12,000 police vacancies will be dealt with on October 11, 2026.
It was anticipated that nearly 5,000 selected candidates will get their appointment letters on that day through a programme. These police recruitment-related decisions have been made independently of the approval of 14,454 vacancies by the Cabinet.
Remuneration for Karmabandhus Enhanced to ₹8,000 per Month
Cabinet decided to enhance the monthly remuneration for Karmabandhus, contractual sanitation and support workers employed under land and land revenue department of the state.
| Item | Remuneration Amount |
| Earlier | ₹5,000 per month |
| New Raised Amount | ₹8,000 per month |
| Monthly enhancement | ₹3,000 |
| Percentage enhancement | 60% |
| Effective month | October 2026 |
The enhanced remuneration increases the payment by ₹3,000, which is 60% more than the previous amount.
Food Allowance of SC/ST Hostel Students Upgraded
Similarly, the Government of West Bengal has enhanced the food allowance of students belonging to Schedule Caste (SC) and Schedule Tribe (ST) staying in the government hostels.
| Category | Amount |
| Existing monthly food allowance | ₹1,800 |
| Enhanced monthly food allowance | ₹3,300 |
| Increase in the monthly allowance | ₹1,500 |
| Percentage increase | Approximately 83.3% |
The new allowance is meant to make more financial assistance available to students residing in government hostels.


