- India
- Oct 15
Govt renames NSAP to ‘Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana’
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal for continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) with a total outlay of Rs 53,428 crore for five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
• The scheme will be renamed the ‘Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana’.
Launch of NSAP in 1995
• The Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution of India enjoin upon the State to undertake within its means a number of welfare measures, targeting the poor and the destitute in particular.
• Article 41 of the Constitution of India directs the State to provide public assistance to its citizens in the case of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement as well as in other cases of undeserved wants, within the limit of State’s economic capacity and development.
• Social security, invalid and old age pensions figure as Items 23 and 24 of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution of India in the Concurrent List.
• It is in compliance with these guiding principles that the government of India launched the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) in 1995 as a fully Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• It targets the destitute, defined as any person who has little or no regular means of subsistence from his/her own source of income or through financial support from family members or other sources, to be identified by the states and UTs, with the objective of providing a basic level of financial support.
• Providing 100 per cent central assistance is to ensure that assistance to the beneficiaries everywhere in the country is uniformly available.
• The programme is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development.
• The programme has undergone many changes in the composition, eligibility criterion and funding patterns over the years.
Components of the scheme:
1) Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS): Under the scheme, assistance is provided to persons of 60 years and above and belonging to families living below the poverty line as per the criteria prescribed by government of India. Central assistance of Rs 200 per month is provided to persons in the age group of 60-79 years and Rs 500 per month to persons of 80 years and above.
2) Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS): Under the scheme, central assistance of Rs 300 per month is provided to widows in the age group of 40-79 years and belonging to families living below poverty line as per the criteria prescribed by government of India. Central assistance of Rs 500 per month is provided to the beneficiaries of age of 80 years and above.
3) Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS): Under the scheme, central assistance of Rs 300 per month is provided to persons aged 18-79 years with severe and multiple disabilities and belonging to families living below poverty line as per the criteria prescribed by government of India. Central assistance of Rs 500 per month is provided to the beneficiaries of age of 80 years and above.
4) National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS): Under the scheme, BPL households are entitled to a lump sum amount of money on the death of the primary breadwinner aged between 18-59 years. The amount of assistance is Rs 20,000.
5) Annapurna Scheme: Under the scheme, 10kg of food grains per month are provided free of cost to those senior citizens who, though eligible under IGNOAPS, are not receiving old age pension.
Key revisions announced:
• The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme will be renamed the ‘Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana’.
• The Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme will be called the ‘Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana’.
• The Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme will be renamed the ‘Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana’.
• The National Family Benefit Scheme will become the ‘Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana’.
• Monthly assistance under the disability pension scheme will be Rs 375 for beneficiaries aged up to 79 years and Rs 625 for those aged 80 years and above.
• The benchmark disability requirement for availing of the pension has been reduced from 80 per cent to 40 per cent.
• The minimum age criterion has also been removed, making persons with disabilities eligible for assistance from birth.
• The pension schemes for the elderly and widows, along with the National Family Benefit Scheme, will continue in their existing form.
• The Cabinet’s approval is expected to benefit 3.20 crore beneficiaries across the country.
• The revised eligibility criteria, beneficiary coverage and assistance rates under the disability pension scheme will be implemented within three months of the issuance of guidelines.
• The revised eligibility criteria for disability pension beneficiaries are in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which recognises a benchmark disability of 40 per cent and provides for disability-related assistance to be at least 25 per cent higher than that under comparable schemes for other categories.