Welfare Schemes

The Assam budget on Friday proposed that persons practising polygamy will not be eligible for benefits under state-run welfare schemes, while government employees found guilty of the practice will face dismissal. Presenting his maiden Budget, state Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said welfare measures should not only reach the deserving but also enforce "inclusivity, integrity and moral ethos" in society. "Speaker Sir, in order to promote women's empowerment and gender justice, any male practising polygamy shall not be eligible to avail benefits under any government welfare scheme," Baruah said. The budget proposed amending the Assam Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1964, to provide that any government servant found to have practised polygamy shall be liable for dismissal from service, in accordance with law. "To promote integrity and responsible citizenship, I propose that any person convicted of an offence under any criminal law shall not be eligible to avail benefit

Widening deficits force states to rationalise and cut back outlays, reduce beneficiaries

An EAC-PM study finds women's cash-transfer schemes improve savings and spending, but raises questions over their long-term fiscal sustainability

The Prime Minister also emphasised the role of technology, which has played a vital role in the Direct Benefit Transfer of governmental schemes towards the poor section of society

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' ..

UDF's expansive welfare promises in Kerala face scrutiny as high debt, fiscal deficit and limited capital spending raise questions on sustainability

Rising debt and shrinking fiscal space have not weakened welfare politics in Kerala. Despite warnings from CAG and RBI, parties continue to rely on welfarism during elections

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

BJP's Bengal poll manifesto promises sops for employees, women and youth, focusing on jobs, welfare and law and order ahead of Assembly elections

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.

SBI Research finds Odisha's Subhadra DBT scheme has lifted savings and spending among women beneficiaries, with strong gains among financially excluded households

The party promised an increase of ₹500 in financial support for women, and a ₹1,500 monthly allowance for all unemployed youth in the state

Highlighting education, mobility, and domestic empowerment, she announced that funds for 30,000 girls under the Ladli-Ladli scheme have been disbursed via DBT

The process of fortification will remain suspended until a more effective mechanism for delivery of nutrients to beneficiaries is identified, an official statement said

After moving into his new offices at Seva Teerth, PM Narendra Modi approved welfare measures, including the PM RAHAT scheme for accident victims and raising the Lakhpati Didi target to 60 million

Spending on health and education as percentage of GDP is modest and below policy targets

Budgetary support for PM Vishwakarma has been cut in FY27 even as banks process lakhs of artisan loan applications, raising questions on credit absorption and scheme scale-up

With elections in Tamil Nadu approaching, the 'investment or freebie' debate, as part of the overall development question, is likely to resume

The Centre has proposed renaming MGNREGA to VB-G RaM G, raising workdays to 125; the move adds to a long list of UPA-era welfare schemes renamed since 2014