Government Schemes

India's major central schemes

Plain-English guides to India's major central government schemes — what they do, who they cover, how they are funded, and what critics say.

12 schemes covered

Social Protection

National Food Security ActEntitles up to 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population to subsidised foodgrains — 5 kg per person per month at Rs 2/3 per kg — through the Public Distribution System.

Est. 2013 · Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

Agriculture

PM-KISANProvides Rs 6,000 per year in direct income support to farmer families, paid in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 directly to bank accounts.

Est. 2019 · Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare

Employment

MNREGAGuarantees 100 days of wage employment per year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

Est. 2005 · Rural Development

Health

Ayushman BharatProvides health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation, targeting the bottom 40% of India's population by socio-economic status.

Est. 2018 · Health and Family Welfare

Housing

PMAY-GProvides financial assistance to rural households living in kutcha (temporary) housing to build pucca (permanent) houses with basic amenities.

Est. 2016 · Rural Development

Infrastructure

Swachh Bharat MissionA nationwide sanitation programme aimed at achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by building individual household toilets, community toilets, and solid waste management systems.

Est. 2014 · Jal Shakti (Rural) / Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (Urban)

PMGSYProvides all-weather road connectivity to unconnected rural habitations above a population threshold, with maintenance provisions.

Est. 2000 · Rural Development

Jal Jeevan MissionAims to provide potable tap water connections to every rural household in India by 2024, replacing dependence on handpumps and open wells.

Est. 2019 · Jal Shakti

Financial Inclusion

Jan Dhan YojanaIndia's flagship financial inclusion programme, providing zero-balance bank accounts with a RuPay debit card, overdraft facility, and life insurance cover to unbanked households.

Est. 2014 · Finance

Energy

Ujjwala YojanaProvides free LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line and specified category households to replace cooking with firewood, dung, and coal.

Est. 2016 · Petroleum and Natural Gas

Education

Mid-Day Meal SchemeProvides free cooked meals to children in government and government-aided schools, covering Classes I–VIII, to improve enrolment, attendance, and nutritional status.

Est. 1995 · Education

Digital

Digital IndiaAn umbrella programme to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy through broadband infrastructure, digital literacy, and e-governance.

Est. 2015 · Electronics and Information Technology