According to the Government of India, the 2001 census revealed that 21.9 million persons are living with disabilities nationwide. In order to provide income security for this these women, men and children the Government of India launched the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension (IGNDP) in 2009, a targeted cash transfer scheme for persons with disabilities. The IGNDP is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development as part of the National Social Assistance Programme, which is implemented in both rural and urban areas.
India's IGNDP scheme is a targeted and non-contributory cash transfer for persons with disabilities. In order to be eligible, claimants must be 18 years of age or above, have severe or multiple disabilities and determined to be at least 80 per cent disabled. Claimants must also be a member of a household that lives below the poverty line (BPL) and hold a BPL card. Claimants are entitled to receive a monthly payment from the central government of at least INR 300, or approximately USD 4.65, up to the age of 80 when the payment increases to INR 500, or USD 7.75. This payment from the central government is topped up with contributions from governments at the state level, making the final level of payment higher and varying from state to state. The National Social Assistance Programme, of which the IGNDP is part, reached more than 21 million beneficiaries in 2010.
India's IGNDP is upheld by Article 41 of the Constitution, which commits the State to provide public assistance to citizens in case of unemployment, old age, sickness and disability. While the IGNDP represents a strong effort to provide income security to persons with disabilities, the level of coverage remains low and insufficient to meet daily needs. Nonetheless, the IGNDP is an important part of India's national social protection floor and a step towards ensuring access to income support for all, including those with disabilities.
Further Reading:
- Ministry of Rural Development (2010). National Social Assistance Programme. Accessed from http://www.nsap.nic.in/nsap/NSAP-%20About%20us.pdf on February 18 2016.