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The West Bengal government on Wednesday launched the Annapurna Yojana for women and announced that 28.25 lakh beneficiaries will receive Rs 3,000 monthly aid in the first phase. Inaugurating the scheme, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that 28,25,769 verified beneficiaries had been enrolled on the dedicated portal over the past three days through a coordinated effort involving state officials, district administrations, block development offices, municipal bodies, elected representatives, and public participation. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee and the double-engine government's commitment have ensured that the promise to provide the aid of Rs 3,000 has been implemented," he said. The chief minister said fresh applications would continue to be accepted and all eligible beneficiaries would be covered under the scheme after verification over the next three months. "As forms are received and verification is completed, Rs 3,000 will be transferred to the beneficiaries' ..
The first phase of 'Census 2027' formally began in Uttarakhand on Friday with Governor Lt Gen (retd) Gurmit Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami registering their details digitally through the 'self-enumeration' facility. Under the program, house listing and house enumeration work has begun in the state. For the first time under 'Digital India', citizens have been given the opportunity to enter their information online before a census officer visits their homes. Officials said that this facility of self-enumeration will be available from April 10 to April 24 and after this, from April 25 to May 24, the census workers will go door to door to collect the data. On this occasion, the governor stated that the census is not merely a collection of data, but a cornerstone of the state's development. He appealed to citizens to actively participate in this important campaign through self-enumeration, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the data. The CM said that accurate census
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Friday said India can enhance its social protection efforts by adopting an "integrated social protection framework" that aims to reduce duplication of benefits, improve targeting and free up fiscal resources for long-term growth. Outlining the policy challenges in India, ADB, in its Asia Development Outlook report said multiple central and state schemes serve overlapping beneficiary groups, with limited coordination on eligibility, benefit levels, or delivery. "A unified framework -- combining pensions, health insurance, and disability coverage, complemented by contributory schemes -- would reduce duplication of benefits and better address the varied vulnerabilities of individuals," it said. This can enable a differentiated approach at the state level, where social protection needs can vary by demographic profile, employment structure, and fiscal capacity. Such an approach would allow governments to maintain or strengthen the protective function
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Saturday said it has recorded its highest-ever expenditure of Rs 11,810.82 crore in 2025-26, nearly 14 per cent higher than the Rs 10,409 crore spent in the previous financial year. According to an official statement, the expenditure was incurred by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under the ministry and reflects a focus on timely utilisation of funds for welfare schemes. The department has also recorded the highest-ever expenditure on welfare schemes for Scheduled Castes and Other Backwards Classes during 2025-26. Record expenditure was also reported on programmes related to drug demand reduction, welfare of sanitation workers, senior citizens, transgender persons and people engaged in begging, it said. The ministry said the expenditure highlights the government's commitment to social justice, empowerment and inclusive development of disadvantaged and vulnerable sections, the statement added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said more than four crore accounts have been opened under the Sukanya Samriddhi scheme so far and more than Rs 3.25 lakh crore has been deposited in these accounts. In his address at the birth centenary celebrations of Sri Satya Sai Baba, Modi also said in Indian tradition, cows are considered a symbol of life, prosperity and compassion as they help in the financial, nutritional and social well-being of these families. "Ten years ago, the Indian government started the Sukanya Samruddhi Yojana for the education and betterment of daughters. This is one of the plans of the country in which our daughters get the highest interest rate of 8.2 per cent. So far, more than four crore accounts have been opened under the Sukanya Samruddhi Yojana. And you will be happy to know that more than Rs 3.25 lakh crores has been deposited in these bank accounts," Modi said. On cow protection, Modi said a few years ago, under the National Gokul Mission, more th
A total of 12 states across India will collectively spend Rs 1.68 lakh crore on unconditional cash transfer schemes for women in 2025-26, up from just two states implementing such programmes three years ago, according to a new report by think tank PRS Legislative Research. The report said six of these 12 states have projected a revenue deficit this year, highlighting growing fiscal pressure linked to the rapid expansion of women-centric welfare payouts. "Among the 12 states implementing UCT schemes, six have estimated a revenue deficit in 2025-26. However, adjusting the revenue balance to exclude spending on UCT schemes shows an improvement in fiscal indicators of these states," the report said. Unconditional cash transfer (UCT) schemes, which aim to empower women from economically weaker households through monthly direct benefit payments, have become a key welfare feature in several states. The number of states providing largely unconditional cash transfers (UCT) to women has ...