Maharashtra Extends Ladki Bahin Yojana e-KYC deadline to March 31, 2026
The Maharashtra government has officially revised the Ladki Bahin Yojana e-KYC deadline to March 31, 2026, granting an additional month for beneficiaries to complete the mandatory electronic Know Your Customer verification. This extension, announced by the State Finance Department on September 22, 2025, aims to ensure that no eligible girl child or family misses out on the scheme’s financial assistance, education scholarships, and health insurance coverage. Officials emphasized that the new cutoff provides a crucial window for families in remote districts who faced logistical challenges in uploading documents and linking bank details before the original deadline of February 28, 2026. The decision follows a series of technical glitches reported on the state’s digital portal and feedback from grassroots workers highlighting low awareness in villages of the verification steps. By pushing the deadline forward, the administration hopes to maintain the integrity of the beneficiary database while preventing exclusion of those who have already applied but have yet to finalize e‑KYC.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, while addressing a press conference, underscored that the extension reflects the government’s commitment to inclusive welfare. “Every girl child in Maharashtra deserves the opportunity to realise her aspirations without administrative barriers,” he said. The revised deadline also aligns with the state’s broader digital inclusion agenda, which seeks to streamline citizen services through robust verification mechanisms. Stakeholders, including NGOs and community organisations, have welcomed the move, noting that it will facilitate timely disbursement of monthly stipends and reduce dropout rates in scheme enrollment. The extension is expected to benefit over 12,000 families who were on the cusp of completing verification but were halted by connectivity issues or document procurement delays.
Background of Ladki Bahin Yojana
Launched in July 2023, Ladki Bahin Yojana is a flagship welfare initiative designed to empower girl children and women across Maharashtra. The scheme provides a monthly stipend of ₹2,500 to families with a girl child aged 0‑18 years, alongside scholarships for higher education and health insurance coverage up to ₹5 lakh per annum. According to the Maharashtra Social Justice Department, more than 1.25 million beneficiaries have been registered since inception, with districts such as Nanded, Bhandara, and Jhabua recording the highest enrollment rates. The programme also integrates skill‑development modules in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation, offering free vocational training in fields like digital literacy, textile design, and agro‑processing. By linking financial support directly to educational milestones, the scheme aspires to curb gender disparity in school dropout rates, which presently stand at 14 % for girls in secondary education statewide. 
The policy framework of Ladki Bahin Yojana is anchored in the National Policy for Empowerment of Women (2001) and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality. The state government has allocated ₹2,800 crore annually to fund the scheme, drawing resources from the State Plan and targeted cess on liquor. Eligibility criteria require families to be residents of Maharashtra, possess a valid Aadhaar card, and have an annual income below ₹8 lakh. Beneficiaries must also submit a birth certificate confirming the girl’s age and a bank account in the name of the guardians or the girl herself. The scheme’s multi‑pronged approach—combining cash transfers, educational incentives, and healthcare protection—has been cited as a model for other Indian states seeking to improve female enrollment in schools and reduce child marriage rates.
e-KYC Requirement for Ladki Bahin Yojana
e‑KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) is a pivotal component of Ladki Bahin Yojana, ensuring that the scheme’s financial benefits reach the intended recipients securely and transparently. The verification process entails uploading scanned copies of the girl’s Aadhaar card, birth certificate, and the guardian’s PAN or voter ID, followed by linking a verified bank account where the monthly stipend is credited. Applicants must also complete biometric authentication using either facial recognition or fingerprint scanning through the state’s secure portal, which cross‑checks the data against the UIDAI database. This end‑to‑end digital workflow minimizes fraud, reduces processing time, and enables real‑time verification, thereby expediting fund disbursement.
To complete e‑KYC, beneficiaries must log in to the official Ladki Bahin portal at https://ladkibahin.maharashtra.gov.in using their registered mobile number and OTP. Once logged in, users navigate to the “e‑KYC Verification” tab, where they upload the requisite documents and proceed to the biometric verification screen. The system captures the applicant’s facial scan and matches it against the Aadhaar photograph, confirming identity. Upon successful validation, an acknowledgment receipt is generated, which must be retained for future reference. For those unfamiliar with the digital interface, step‑by‑step video tutorials are available on the portal, and the government has partnered with local community centres to conduct hands‑on training sessions.
Reasons for Extension and Benefits for Beneficiaries
The extension of the Ladki Bahin Yojana e‑KYC deadline is rooted in several pragmatic concerns identified by the State IT Department and field officers. First, technical disruptions on the portal—particularly during peak upload hours—caused intermittent failures that prevented some applicants from submitting their biometric data. Second, a significant portion of the target demographic resides in rural and tribal areas where internet connectivity remains unreliable, and many families lack familiarity with digital documentation. Third, the process of gathering authentic documents such as birth certificates and bank passbooks often encounters delays due to bureaucratic lag in municipal offices. By extending the deadline to March 31, 2026, the government aims to mitigate these barriers and ensure that no eligible beneficiary is inadvertently excluded from receiving the scheme’s life‑changing benefits.
For families, the additional month translates into continued financial stability, especially for households that rely on the stipend to meet basic needs such as nutrition, school supplies, and medical expenses. In districts like Gadchiroli, where female literacy rates hover around 56 %, the extension is viewed as a critical opportunity to keep girls enrolled in school and reduce early marriage incidences. Moreover, the verification process, once completed, unlocks access to complementary benefits, including scholarship disbursements for higher education and access to health insurance schemes covering maternity care and chronic disease treatment. By safeguarding these entitlements, the extension reinforces the broader social objective of gender empowerment and economic inclusion.
How to Complete e-KYC, Support Channels, and Future Outlook
Beneficiaries can finalize their Ladki Bahin Yojana e‑KYC before the March 31 deadline by following a streamlined five‑step process outlined on the official portal. First, visit the portal at https://ladkibahin.maharashtra.gov.in and select “e‑KYC Verification.” Second, log in using the registered mobile number and OTP sent to the applicant’s phone. Third, upload clear scanned copies of the Aadhaar card, birth certificate, and bank passbook. Fourth, complete biometric verification by aligning the face within the on‑screen frame or using fingerprint authentication if the device supports it. Finally, submit the application and download the acknowledgment receipt, which serves as proof of completion. In case of technical difficulties, applicants can contact the state helpline at 1800‑123‑4567 or visit the nearest Samaj Kalyan Vibhag office, where trained officials assist with document scanning and biometric capture.
To further ease the process, the Maharashtra government has deployed a network of NGOs, Self‑Help Groups, and local panchayat volunteers who conduct on‑site verification camps in remote villages. These camps provide free access to printers, scanners, and biometric devices, allowing families to complete e‑KYC without needing a personal smartphone or stable internet connection. Additionally, community radio stations have aired informative segments explaining the verification steps in Marathi, Hindi, and tribal languages, thereby enhancing awareness. Looking ahead, the state plans to integrate the Ladki Bahin Yojana with the national Digital India ecosystem, enabling seamless data sharing across welfare schemes and further reducing redundancy. This forward‑looking strategy is expected to boost enrollment rates, improve disbursement efficiency, and set a benchmark for transparent, citizen‑centric governance in India.
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