question_answer 6)

What programmes has the government adopted to help the elderly people and poor and destitute women?

Answer:

In accordance with the Directive Principles of State Policy, the Government of India introduced National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) in 199b to help the elderly people and poor and destitute women. The NSAP aims at ensuring minimum national standard for social assistance in addition to the benefits that stales are currently providing or would provide in future. At present, NSAP comprises of the following live schemes for BPL persons (i) Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) (ii) Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) (iii) Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) (iv) National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) (v) Annapurna Under Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Rs. 200 per month provided to the beneficiary of age 65 or more and belonging to a BPL family according to criteria prescribed by Government of India. Widow pension is provided under IGNWPS to tie BPL widows of age group of 40-64 years. Disability pensions provided to the multiple or severely disabled persons of age group of 18-64 years under IQNDPS. Central assistance of Rs. 200 per month per beneficiary is provided under Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) and Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS). The states are urged to contribute another Rs. 200 from their own resources so that a pensioner could get at least Rs. 400 per month in the above programmes.