Question

Difficulty: HardSocial Sector Initiatives, Welfare Schemes, and Social Security Architecture

Which of the following statements regarding the institutional framework, target eligibility criteria, and social assistance components of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) are correct?

  1. The programme is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development and serves to fulfill the Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 41 of the Constitution of India.Answer
  2. B
    The Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) component covers eligible persons with severe or multiple disabilities starting from 60 years of age.
  3. Under the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS), a lump-sum financial assistance is provided to a BPL household upon the death of the primary breadwinner aged between 18 and 59 years.Answer
  4. D
    The Annapurna Scheme provides 10 kg of free food grains per month to senior citizens who are already receiving monthly pensions under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme.

Answer

The correct statements are that NSAP is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development to fulfill Article 41 Directive Principles, and that the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) provides a lump-sum financial assistance upon the death of a primary breadwinner aged 18–59 years.
The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is administered centrally by the Ministry of Rural Development, implementing Directive Principles of State Policy contained in Article 41. Additionally, the National Family Benefit Scheme component provides a lump-sum grant of ₹20,000 to eligible BPL households upon the natural or accidental death of a primary breadwinner within the 18–59 age bracket.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze administrative structure and constitutional basis of NSAP
NSAP is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme administered by the Ministry of Rural Development in fulfillment of Article 41 of the Constitution of India.
Verifying the nodal ministry and statutory/constitutional alignment.
2
Evaluate age thresholds for Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS)
IGNDPS applies to eligible BPL persons with 80% or higher disability aged 18 to 79 years, not starting at 60.
Testing specific age band eligibility requirements.
3
Examine the provisions of the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)
NFBS grants ₹20,000 assistance to BPL families when a primary breadwinner aged 18–59 dies.
Confirming grant parameters and target beneficiary criteria.
4
Assess target coverage conditions of the Annapurna Scheme
Annapurna targets uncovered senior citizens, explicitly excluding active recipients of IGNOAPS to avoid double dipping.
Identifying mutual exclusion rules within NSAP sub-schemes.

Key Concept

Institutional Architecture and Eligibility Framework of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)
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