2. • The National Social Assistance Scheme (NSAS)
or National Social Assistance Programme
(NSAP) is a flagship welfare program of the
Government of India
• Initiated on 15 August 1995.
• Article 41 of the Indian Constitution directs
the State to provide public assistance to its
citizens in case of unemployment, old age,
sickness and disablement and in other cases
of undeserved want within the limit of its
economic capacity and development
3. Administration
• The scheme is administered by the Ministry of Rural
Development, Government of India
• The beneficiaries could hail from either urban or rural
areas.
• The scheme is completely sponsored by the Central
Government, unlike other welfare schemes like the
Indira Awas Yojana where the Union government
shares costs with the State governments.
• Under the Union Budget for the financial year of 2011-
12, an allocation of Rs. 6,158 crores was made to
implement this scheme.
• Under the union budget 2012-2013 raising the
allocation under the National Social Assistance
Programme (NSAP) by 37 per cent from 6,158 crore in
2011-12 to 8,447 crore in 2012-13
4. Components
There are five major components under this
scheme.
• National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS)
• National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)
• Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension
Scheme
• Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension
Scheme
• Annapurna Scheme
5. Objective
The objective of the Programme is to extend
financial assistance to;
• old persons having little or no regular means
of subsistence
• households living below the poverty line in
case of death of the primary breadwinner and
• pregnant women of households below the
poverty line up to the first two live births.
6. Achievement
• The original budget provision for the National
Social Assistance Programme during the year
1998- 99 was Rs. 700 crores. However, the
allocation was reduced to Rs. 6"2"0 crores at
RE stage. The amount utilised against this RE is
Rs. 6"2"0.20 crores during 1998-99
