The National Social Assistance Program 1995 has been initiated with an aim to extend financial assistance to old persons having little or no regular means of subsistence, to households living below the poverty line in case of death of the primary breadwinner and to pregnant women of households below the poverty line up to the first two live births. This Programme has come into effect from August 15, 1995.
The National Social Assistance Programme is a collection of three Schemes, namely, National Old Age Pension Scheme, National Family Benefit Scheme and National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS). The Programme has introduced a national policy for social security assistance to the poor families which is a significant step towards the fulfillment of the welfare provisions of the Directive Principles of the Constitution The National Social Assistance Programme is a Centrally Sponsored Programme which extend Central assistance to the States and Union Territories to provide the benefits under it in accordance with the norms, guidelines and conditions laid down by the Central Government.
