The government will increase the number of beneficiaries of various social safety net schemes by at least 10 lakh from fiscal year (FY) 2025-2026, but allowances will see a small increase, although poor groups have been facing stubbornly high inflation for years.

New pension scheme expected to benefit large segments of the population

How does the social protection budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year fare when analysed through the lenses of equity and efficiency?