Social Security Policies, Programs and Schemes in India

Abstract

Social security is one of the principal mechanisms through which a society upholds the dignity of its citizens. Its core components are social assistance, social insurance, social protection, and social safety nets for those who are poor, elderly, unemployed, pregnant, ill, disabled, orphaned, or otherwise vulnerable. By providing public assistance, social security systems guarantee a minimum standard of living for the general population, and adequate, timely funding is essential to sustaining them. This paper reviews the major social security policies, programmes, and schemes in India, including the Public Distribution System (PDS), the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAYNRLM), and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana Scheme (PMUYS), among others. Drawing on government reports, official dashboards, and published literature, it describes each scheme's objectives, coverage, and implementation, and considers what an understanding of these measures reveals about efforts to improve the living standards of the people.