Social Welfare Schemes and Safety Nets in India

1) Shift to Rights-Based Welfare

Since the mid-2000s, India moved from a "welfarist" approach to a rights-based approach, making certain services a legal entitlement.

• Key Acts: RTI (2005), MGNREGA (2005), FRA (2006), RTE (2009), NFSA (2013).

2) MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act)

2.1 Core Feature (High-Yield)

• Legal Guarantee: 100 days of wage employment per financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• Demand-Driven: Work must be provided within 15 days of demand; else unemployment allowance is paid.
• Social Audit: Mandatory gram sabha audits to ensure transparency.
• Women's participation: Mandates at least 1/3rd beneficiaries to be women.

2.2 Objective

• Livelihood security in rural areas.
• Creating durable assets (water harvesting, roads).
• Checking distress migration.

3) National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013

3.1 Coverage

• Targeted PDS (TPDS): Covers up to 75% of rural and 50% of urban population.
• Entitlement: 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at subsidized prices (Rs 3/2/1 for Rice/Wheat/Coarse grains).
• Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): Poorest households get 35 kg/family/month.

3.2 Significance

• Largest food security program in the world.
• Life-cycle approach (covers Integrated Child Development Services - ICDS, Mid-Day Meals).

4) Major Social Security and Health Schemes

4.1 Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY)

• Health Insurance: Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.
• Beneficiaries: Bottom 40% of population (approx 10 crore families/50 crore individuals).
• Feature: Portability across India; Cashless & paperless.

4.2 PM Awas Yojana (PMAY) - Gramin & Urban

• Goal: "Housing for All".
• Provides financial assistance for construction of pucca houses with basic amenities (toilet, electricity, water).

5) Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and JAM Trinity

5.1 JAM Trinity

• Jan Dhan (Bank Accounts) + Aadhaar (Identity) + Mobile.
• Enables direct transfer of subsidies to bank accounts, reducing leakages and intermediaries.

5.2 Benefits

• Estimated savings of thousands of crores by removing "ghost" beneficiaries.
• Faster delivery of funds (e.g., PM-KISAN, LPG subsidy).

6) Common Exam Traps

1. MGNREGA is for RURAL only, not urban.
2. NFSA is not universal; it restricts coverage to 67% of total population (75% rural + 50% urban).
3. Ayushman Bharat is not for OPD (Out-Patient); it covers hospitalization.