The service delivery of Social Welfare Schemes in India are a combination of National Level and State Level funding and implementation.
While there are multiple Social Welfare Schemes however one of the flagship program is: The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP).
NSAP is Administered by Ministry of Rural Development and is implemented by State Govts / UTs.
NSAP has 5 main components;
1) Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS)
2) Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)
3) Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS)
5) National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)
5) Annapurna
NSAP is 100% funded by the Central Govt with the option for top-up/add-on contribution by the States, however the additional support is the State prerogative and decision.
For Senior Citizens, the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) is the primary Central Govt scheme which is often supported by additional State contribution.
Many States have their Independent financial support schemes for various categories of citizens, however most of them are targeted for citizens in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category.
If anyone wants to help the poor and underprivileged Senior Citizens then they can help them by educating them about their rights and eligibility to avail such initiatives.
Pankaj Mehrotra
