NSAP Scheme or National Social Assistance Programme details are provided here. The National Social Assistance Programme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Government of India under Social Security Welfare Schemes that provides financial assistance to the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities in the form of social pensions.
NSAP stands for National Social Assistance Programme. NSAP was launched on 15th August, 1995. The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) represents a significant step towards the fulfillment of the Directive Principles in Article 41 and 42 of the Constitution recognizing the concurrent responsibility of the Central and the State Governments in the matter.
In particular, Article 41 of the Constitution of India directs the State to provide public assistance to its citizens in case of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement and in other cases of undeserved want within the limit of its economic capacity and development.
| Name of the scheme | NSAP Scheme |
|---|---|
| Title | Check the National Social Assistance Programme details |
| Subject | Govt Of India launched National Social Assistance Programme for Old age Protection |
| Category | Scheme |
| Website | https://nsap.nic.in/ |
| NSAP | NSAP Guidelines |
Eligibility for NSAP Scheme
- Should be an Indian citizen
- Any person who has little or no regular means of subsistence from his/her own source of income or through financial support from family members or other sources.
Benefits of NSAP
- Central Contribution @ Rs 300 to Rs 500 for different age group.
- Monthly pension ranges from Rs 1000 to Rs 3000/ depending upon State Goverment’s contribution.
National Social Assistance Programme is a social security and welfare programme to provide support to aged persons, widows, disabled persons and bereaved families on death of primary bread winner, belonging to below poverty line households.
Components of NSAP
The NSAP is a Centrally Sponsored Programme to extend 100% Central assistance to the state to provide the benefit under it in accordance with the norms, guidelines and conditions laid down by the Central Govt applicable to all components as well as the specific conditions applicable to each component.
Presently NSAP comprises of five schemes, namely –
- Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS),
- Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS),
- Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS),
- National Family Benefit Scheme NFBS) and
- Annapurna
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS): The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) is a non-contributory old age pension scheme that covers Indians who are 60 years and above and live below the poverty line. All individuals above the age of 60 who live below the poverty line are eligible to apply for IGNOAPS.
All IGNOAPS beneficiaries aged 60–79 receive a monthly pension of Rs. 300 (Rs. 200 by central government and Rs. 100 by state government). Those 80 years and above receive a monthly pension amount of Rs.500.
States are strongly urged to provide an additional amount at least an equivalent amount to the assistance provided by the Central Government so that the beneficiaries can get a decent level of assistance .
Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS): Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), introduced in the year 2009, provides BPL(Below Poverty Line) widows in the age group 40 to 59(later revised 40 to 79 WEF 01.10.2012) with a monthly pension of Rs. 200 (later revised to Rs.300 WEF 01.10.2012) per beneficiary. This programme was started in 2009 under the ministry for rural development.
Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS): Eligibility: Individuals aged 18 years and above with more than 80% disability and living below the poverty line. Amount: ₹300 (US$4.00) per month (₹500 (US$6.60) for those 80 years and above).
National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS): In the event of death of a bread-winner in a household, the bereaved family will receive lumpsum assistance of 20,000. The bread-winner should have been between 18–64 years of age. The assistance would be provided in every case of death of primary bread-winner in a household.
Annapurna Scheme: This scheme aims to provide food security to meet the requirement of those senior citizens who, though eligible, have remained uncovered under the IGNOAPS. Under the Annapurna Scheme, 10 kg of free rice is provided every month to each beneficiary.
Selection Process
- Applications are proactively collected by reaching out to households
- Application is verified with respect to facts regarding eligibility
- The list of eligible beneficiaries with recommendations of the verifying authority is discussed in Gram Sabha
- The final list is placed before the sanctioning authority
What is NSAP?
NSAP stands for National Social Assistance Programme. NSAP was launched on 15th August, 1995.
What is the objective of NSAP?
In providing social assistance benefits to poor households in the case of old age, death of the breadwinner and maternity, the NSAP aims at ensuring minimum national standards, in addition to the benefits that the States are currently providing or might provide in future. It also aims at ensuring that social protection to the beneficiaries everywhere in the country is uniformly available without interruption.
Who implements NSAP?
The NSAP is implemented in the States/UTs in accordance with the general conditions applicable to all components of the NSAP as well as specific condition applicable to each component. The NSAP Schemes are mainly implemented by the Social Welfare Departments in the States. But NSAP is implemented by Rural Development Department in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Meghalaya and West Bengal; by the Department of Women & Child Development in Orissa and Puducherry; by the Revenue Department in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and by the Department of Labour Employment & Training in Jharkhand. The NSAP extends to both the rural as well as urban areas
What is the basic eligibility criterion under NSAP?
For getting benefits under NSAP the applicant must belong to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) family according to the criteria prescribed by the Govt. of India.
How are the beneficiaries identified in rural areas?
As per the revised eligibility criteria new beneficiaries will be identified from BPL list prepared by the States/UTs as per guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development (MORD) for the BPL Census 2002.