Kerala Launches ‘Sthree Suraksha’ Scheme for Over 10 Lakh Beneficiaries

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan officially launched the Sthree Suraksha Scheme on February 11, 2026, providing a monthly pension of ₹1,000 to economically backward women and transwomen. The first month’s pension was credited to 10,18,042 beneficiaries whose applications were verified and approved. The scheme aims to support unemployed and financially vulnerable women aged 35 to 60 years who are not receiving benefits from any other social welfare pension programme. The launch ceremony was held at Malayinkeezhu in Thiruvananthapuram.

Key Features of the Sthree Suraksha Scheme

The Sthree Suraksha Scheme is designed to ensure economic independence and dignity. The assistance is directly transferred to beneficiaries’ bank accounts after detailed scrutiny of applications.

Important highlights include,

• ₹1,000 monthly pension
• Target group: Economically backward women and transwomen
• Age group: 35–60 years
• First phase beneficiaries: 10,18,042
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) model

The government described it as a decisive intervention against financial dependency, which often limits women’s autonomy.

Objective: Gender Justice and Women-Friendly Kerala

• During the launch, CM Vijayan stated that financial dependency often silences women.
• The Sthree Suraksha Scheme aims to ensure that women can live with dignity without depending on others.
• He described the initiative as a milestone in building a women-friendly Kerala, where gender justice forms the foundation of development.
• The scheme is part of a broader set of welfare measures announced earlier, targeting working-class and economically vulnerable sections.

Link with Gender Budgeting and LDF Policies

• The Chief Minister highlighted Kerala’s pioneering step of introducing gender budgeting, making it the first State in India to adopt this approach.
• Under gender budgeting, each government department allocates specific funds for projects benefiting women.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has also introduced initiatives such as,

• Pink Police wing
• Women safety interventions in public spaces
• Strengthened social security pensions
• Welfare measures under inclusive development policies

The Sthree Suraksha Scheme complements these reforms by directly addressing economic vulnerability.

Immediate Fund Transfer and Implementation

• One of the significant aspects of the scheme was its swift implementation.
• Within hours of the launch, ₹1,000 was credited to over 10 lakh beneficiaries.
• The government emphasized that benefits are granted only after thorough verification to ensure transparency.
• Officials stated that more beneficiaries will be included once their applications are cleared.
• The scheme reflects Kerala’s welfare model where social security and inclusive growth are prioritized over purely economic considerations.

Question

Q. The Sthree Suraksha Scheme in Kerala provides a monthly pension of,

A) ₹500
B) ₹750
C) ₹1,000
D) ₹1,500