Lok Sabha Question No. 2778 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-10
Subject: National Social Assistance Programme
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Bharatsinhji Shankarji Dabhi, Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama, Dr. Hemang Joshi, Shri Nalin Soren, Shri Godam Nagesh, Dr. Nishikant Dubey, Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Smt. Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Shri Jagdambika Pal, Shri Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Shri Shankar Lalwani, Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh, Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Smt. Mahima Kumari Mewar, Shri Yogender Chandolia, Shri Haribhai Patel, Smt. Smita Uday Wagh, Shri Captain Brijesh Chowta, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2778 ANSWERED ON 10/03/2026

## NATIONAL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME

## 2778. Shri Bharatsinhji Shankarji Dabhi:

Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara:

Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri:

Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh:

Shri Nalin Soren:

Shri Bibhu Prasad Tarai:

Smt. Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah:

Shri Jagdambika Pal:

Shri Captain Brijesh Chowta:

Dr. Hemang Joshi:

Shri Yogender Chandolia:

Shri Rajesh Naranbhai Chudasama:

Smt. Aparajita Sarangi:

Dr. Nishikant Dubey:

Shri Shankar Lalwani:

Smt. Smita Uday Wagh:

Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab:

Smt. Mahima Kumari Mewar:

Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal:

Shri Haribhai Patel:

Shri Godam Nagesh:

## Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the progress under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)  as  of  January  2026,  State  and  district-wise  including Karnataka and Dakshina Kannada;
- (b) the details of beneficiaries covered under the five subschemes-Indira  Gandhi  National  Old  Age  Pension  Scheme (IGNOAPS),  Indira  Gandhi  National  Widow  Pension  Scheme (IGNWPS),  Indira  Gandhi  National  Disability  Pension  Scheme (IGNDPS),  National  Family  Benefit  Scheme  (NFBS),  and  the Annapurna Scheme, State-wise;
- (c) whether  Gram  Panchayats  and  Municipalities  are  correctly identifying eligible beneficiaries, if so, the details thereof;

- (d) whether there  are  any  plans  to  increase  pension  amounts  or expand coverage, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Ministry has assessed the impact of the scheme on poverty reduction especially for vulnerable sections, including the district-level assessment conducted in Dakshina Kannada; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

- (a) & (b): National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) caters to 3.09  crore  BPL  beneficiaries  with  scheme-wise  ceiling/cap  on  the number of beneficiaries for each State/UT. Scheme-wise and Statewise ceiling of number of beneficiaries and State-wise fund released under NSAP, including Karnataka, during the last year and current year (as on 31st January, 2026) are given at Annexure. The Ministry releases funds to the States/UTs and the States/UTs further release funds to the beneficiaries.
- (c): Under  NSAP,  the  identification  of  eligible  beneficiaries  is carried  out  by  Gram  Panchayats  and  Municipalities in  accordance with  the  scheme  guidelines.  Local  bodies  play  a  central  role  in proactively identifying eligible persons. Applications are verified by designated State/UT authorities with reference to eligibility criteria, and the list of applicants is discussed in the Gram Sabha/Ward Sabha before sanction by the competent authority.
- (d): At present, there is no proposal under consideration to revise the coverage/rate of assistance under NSAP.
- (e) & (f): From  time  to  time,  various  impact  assessment  and evaluation  studies  have  been  carried  out  to  assess  the  impact  of NSAP schemes by the  Ministry  and  NITI  Aayog.  The  assessments indicate  satisfactory  implementation  at  the  grassroots  level,  with most beneficiaries expressing overall satisfaction with the processes of  selection,  sanction,  and  disbursement  of  pensions.  The  studies also find that pensions are primarily used to meet essential needs such as food and healthcare. At the same  time, they have recommended  further  strengthening  of  the  programme  through measures such as improving adequacy of assistance, ensuring timely and regular payments, enhancing beneficiary verification and monitoring systems etc.

A third-party evaluation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes, including NSAP conducted by NITI Aayog finds that the NSAP remains highly relevant in its present form, as it aligns with national priorities and international  commitments  by  providing  a  social  safety  net  for vulnerable category of persons. The programme contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Social Protection (SDG 1.3), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), and Ending Hunger (SDG 2.1).

*****

Annexure referred to in part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2778 to be answered on 10.03.2026 regarding 'National Social Assistance Programme'

## Scheme-wise and State-wise ceiling of number of beneficiaries under NSAP

|             | States/UTs         |   IGNOAPS |   IGNWPS |       IGNDPS | NFBS   | Annapurna   |
|-------------|--------------------|-----------|----------|--------------|--------|-------------|
| 1           | Andhra Pradesh     |    663736 |   246832 |        24412 | 10906  | 54354       |
| 2           | Bihar              |   3157256 |   635091 |       127100 | 35859  | 166600      |
| 3           | Chhattisgarh       |    644429 |   203628 |        32085 | 12801  | 24196       |
| 4           | Goa                |      7308 |     5886 |          466 | 225    | 420         |
| 5           | Gujarat            |    620548 |   276078 |        20327 | 10695  | 35377       |
| 6           | Haryana            |    259865 |    70808 |        16583 | 4154   |             |
| 7           | Himachal Pradesh   |     93178 |    21974 |          853 | 684    | 2644        |
| 8           | Jharkhand          |    985094 |   266077 |        26349 | 14148  | 54939       |
| 9           | Karnataka          |    899422 |   452027 |        44825 | 18312  |             |
| 10          | Kerala             |    458813 |   368358 |        19285 | 4358   | 36904       |
| 11          | Madhya Pradesh     |   1575079 |   546920 |       101470 | 30826  |             |
| 12          | Maharashtra        |   1122920 |    80725 |         9322 | 34987  | 108000      |
| 13          | Odisha             |   1418631 |   525045 |        90283 | 24697  | 64800       |
| 14          | Punjab             |    112955 |    19294 |         5982 | 2673   |             |
| 15          | Rajasthan          |    823972 |   315048 |        30513 | 12347  | 47500       |
| 16          | Tamilnadu          |   1282504 |   574258 |        64096 | 18445  | 66388       |
| 17          | Telangana          |    480315 |   180720 |        20578 | 7794   | 38846       |
| 18          | Uttar Pradesh      |   4722613 |  1025236 |        85773 | 73075  |             |
| 19          | Uttarakhand        |    204557 |    23898 |         2880 | 4808   |             |
| 20          | West Bengal        |   1281159 |   726172 |        59941 | 21553  | 65068       |
| 21          | Arunachal Pradesh  |      5893 |      288 |          112 | 346    | 1840        |
| 22          | Assam              |    695997 |   119955 |        34579 | 8524   | 25308       |
| 23          | Manipur            |     55891 |     7075 |         1005 | 669    | 3320        |
| 24          | Meghalaya          |     55734 |     8024 |         1558 | 781    | 3580        |
| 25          | Mizoram            |     24524 |     2278 |          722 | 197    | 1000        |
| 26          | Nagaland           |     45941 |     3827 |         1011 | 535    | 2600        |
| 27          | Sikkim             |     16928 |     1469 |          457 | 175    | 960         |
| 28          | Tripura            |    135232 |    17537 |         2131 | 984    | 5740        |
| 29          | A&N Islands        |       585 |        3 |            2 | 86     | 560         |
| 30          | Chandigarh         |      2378 |     2486 |          100 | 80     | 440         |
| 31          | D&N Haveli and D&D |      8754 |     2109 |          310 | 119    | 358         |
| 32          | NCT Delhi          |    113824 |    36361 |         4635 | 2270   | 8040        |
| 33          | J&K                |    130298 |     7631 |         2465 | 323    | 10220       |
| 34          | Ladakh             |      6486 |      443 |          219 | 112    | 7260        |
| 35          | Lakshadweep        |       155 |       87 |           51 | 9      | 60          |
| 36          | Puducherry         |     17713 |     9821 |         1271 | 283    | 1580        |
| GRAND TOTAL | GRAND TOTAL        |  22130687 |  6783469 | 833751358840 |        | 831642      |

## State-wise fund released under NSAP (excluding Annapurna scheme) during the last year and current year (as on 31st January, 2026)

(Rs. in crore)

|    | States/UTs         |   FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 (As on 31.01.2026) |   FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 (As on 31.01.2026) |
|----|--------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| 1  | Andhra Pradesh     |                                     354.49 |                                     273.1  |
| 2  | Bihar              |                                    1390.68 |                                     691.8  |
| 3  | Chhattisgarh       |                                     375.26 |                                     154.17 |
| 4  | Goa                |                                       0    |                                       0    |
| 5  | Gujarat            |                                     207.55 |                                      85.51 |
| 6  | Haryana            |                                      10.7  |                                      39.95 |
| 7  | Himachal Pradesh   |                                       0    |                                      77.28 |
| 8  | Jharkhand          |                                     324.79 |                                     237.63 |
| 9  | Karnataka          |                                     113.93 |                                     631.12 |
| 10 | Kerala             |                                     131.24 |                                     273.85 |
| 11 | Madhya Pradesh     |                                     889.77 |                                     553.75 |
| 12 | Maharashtra        |                                     534.13 |                                       0    |
| 13 | Odisha             |                                     549.53 |                                     147.96 |
| 14 | Punjab             |                                      22.88 |                                      10.94 |
| 15 | Rajasthan          |                                     608.67 |                                     148.93 |
| 16 | Tamilnadu          |                                     640.77 |                                     326.34 |
| 17 | Telangana          |                                       0    |                                     171.19 |
| 18 | Uttar Pradesh      |                                    1947.38 |                                     813.48 |
| 19 | Uttarakhand        |                                     111.85 |                                      78.67 |
| 20 | West Bengal        |                                     796.4  |                                     612.45 |
| 21 | Arunachal Pradesh  |                                       0    |                                       0    |
| 22 | Assam              |                                     319.19 |                                      96.98 |
| 23 | Manipur            |                                      21.94 |                                       0    |
| 24 | Meghalaya          |                                      21.81 |                                      17.14 |
| 25 | Mizoram            |                                      14.01 |                                       2    |
| 26 | Nagaland           |                                      30.58 |                                      18.62 |
| 27 | Sikkim             |                                       0    |                                       0    |
| 28 | Tripura            |                                      56.13 |                                      44.07 |
| 29 | A&N Islands        |                                       0    |                                       0    |
| 30 | Chandigarh         |                                       0    |                                       0    |
| 31 | D&N Haveli and D&D |                                       0    |                                       0    |
| 32 | NCT Delhi          |                                     117.83 |                                      13.48 |
| 33 | J&K                |                                      34.64 |                                      24.13 |
| 34 | Ladakh             |                                       5.74 |                                       1.49 |
| 35 | Lakshadweep        |                                       0    |                                       0    |
| 36 | Puducherry         |                                       0    |                                       0    |
|    | GRAND TOTAL        |                                    9631.89 |                                    5546.02 |

Note: Annapurna scheme is demand driven. There was no demand under scheme. *****