Executive Summary:
This document presents the Indian government's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3826 regarding the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS). It provides data on the total number of eligible beneficiaries, state and district-wise details including Andhra Pradesh, details of disbursed amounts state-wise, and beneficiary numbers over the last five years, as of August 12, 2025. The information is based on the National Social Assistance Program (NSAP) guidelines.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Beneficiary Coverage:**
* A total of 6,735,826 beneficiaries are covered under IGNWPS across the country, based on scheme-wise caps under NSAP.
* **Data Maintenance and Disbursement:**
* States/UTs are required to maintain a database of beneficiaries and upload it in the public domain, as per NSAP guidelines.
* Funds are disbursed to States/UTs based on the number of digitized beneficiaries or their fixed State/UT cap, whichever is lower.
* States/UTs are responsible for disbursing benefits to beneficiaries at the Village/Block/Ward/District level.
* **State/UT-wise Caps and Funds Released:**
* Annexure I provides the State/UT-wise number of eligible widow pensioners and State/UT cap, including Andhra Pradesh.
* Annexure II details the funds released under IGNWPS during the last five years (2020-21 to 2024-25), State/UT-wise.
Impact Analysis:
* **States/UTs:**
* Impact: Responsible for maintaining beneficiary databases, ensuring transparent disbursal of funds to eligible individuals at the local level, and adhering to beneficiary caps.
* Action Required: Maintain and update beneficiary data, ensure funds are disbursed according to NSAP guidelines, and adhere to state/UT beneficiary caps.
* **Beneficiaries (Widows):**
* Impact: Eligible widows receive pension benefits under IGNWPS, subject to state/UT-level disbursal mechanisms and adherence to scheme guidelines.
* Action Required: Ensure their information is updated in the state/UT database and comply with local requirements for receiving pension benefits.
* **Ministry of Rural Development:**
* Impact: Oversees the implementation of IGNWPS through the NSAP, disburses funds to States/UTs, and monitors scheme performance.
* Action Required: Continue to monitor scheme implementation, ensure timely fund disbursement, and address any discrepancies in beneficiary data or fund utilization.
Key Entities Referenced
Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme IGNWPS: A national pension scheme for widows, a key focus of the policy document.
National Social Assistance Program NSAP: The overarching program under which the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme IGNWPS falls.
Ministry of Rural Development: The government ministry responsible for the policy and its implementation.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India, specifically mentioned for state and district-wise details of beneficiaries.
Bihar: A state in India with State cap 635091.
Uttar Pradesh: A state in India with State cap 1025236.
SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN: Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development.
Lok Sabha: Parliament of India where the question regarding the policy was raised.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3826
ANSWERED ON 12/08/2025
BENEFICIARIES UNDER IGNWPS
3826. Shri Bastipati Nagaraju:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has any data regarding the total
number of beneficiaries eligible under the Indira Gandhi National
Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS);
(b) if so, the details thereof State and district-wise including Andhra
Pradesh till date;
(c) the details and the total amount disbursed under the said
scheme, State-wise; and
(d) the details and the total number of beneficiaries under the said
scheme during the last five years, State-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a), (b) & (d): At present, as per scheme-wise cap of beneficiaries
under the different schemes of National Social Assistance Program
(NSAP), a total of 6735826 beneficiaries are covered under Indira
Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) across the
country. Further as per NSAP guidelines, States/UTs are required to
maintain a database of beneficiaries and upload it in public domain.
Funds are disbursed to the States/UTs based on the number of
digitized beneficiaries or their fixed State/UT cap, whichever is lower.
As per NSAP guidelines, States/UTs are responsible for further
disbursal of benefits to beneficiaries at Village/Block/Ward/District
level. State/UT-wise number of eligible widow pensioners (State/UT
cap), including that of Andhra Pradesh is given at Annexure-I.
(c): State/UT-wise funds released under IGNWPS during last five
years is given at Annexure-II.
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Page 1 of 3Annexure-I
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A), (B)& (D) OF LOK
SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 3826 TO BE ANSWERED ON
12.08.2025
State-UT-wise ceiling of beneficiaries under IGNWPS
Sl. No. States/UTs State cap
1 Andhra Pradesh 246832
2 Bihar 635091
3 Chhattisgarh 203628
4 Goa 5886
5 Gujarat 276078
6 Haryana 70808
7 Himachal Pradesh 21974
8 Jharkhand 266077
9 Karnataka 452027
10 Kerala 320715
11 Madhya Pradesh 546920
12 Maharashtra 80725
13 Odisha 525045
14 Punjab 19294
15 Rajasthan 315048
16 Tamil Nadu 574258
17 Telangana 180720
18 Uttar Pradesh 1025236
19 Uttarakhand 23898
20 West Bengal 726172
NE States
21 Arunachal Pradesh 288
22 Assam 119955
23 Manipur 7075
24 Meghalaya 8024
25 Mizoram 2278
26 Nagaland 3827
27 Sikkim 1469
28 Tripura 17537
Union Territories
29 A&N Islands 3
30 Chandigarh 2486
31 D&N Haveli and D&D 2109
32 NCT Delhi 36361
33 J&K 7631
34 Ladakh 443
35 Lakshadweep 87
36 Puducherry 9821
TOTAL 6735826
Page 2 of 3Annexure II
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (C) OF LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 3826 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2025
State/UT wise details of funds released under IGNWPS during last
five years
Funds released (Rs in crore)
Sl.No. States/UTs
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
1 Andhra Pradesh 91.07 68.3 91.07 114.2931 93.734
2 Bihar 203.12 233.45 235.34 235.4918 238.8793
3 Chhattisgarh 45.23 70.56 73.06 75.0292 94.6855
4 Goa 0 0 0 0 0
5 Gujarat 78.81 40.49 0 0 0
6 Haryana 7.98 0 43.77 0 0
7 Himachal Pradesh 6.67 1.67 5 14.259 0
8 J & K 1.24 2.02 1.41 4.8739 2.2077
9 Jharkhand 75.53 120.56 99.18 72.9831 78.948
10 Karnataka 170.6 167.61 159.46 133.8651 41.9029
11 Kerala 96.98 0 0 204.2958 52.6031
12 Madhya Pradesh 190.35 149.18 244.79 202.798 214.885
13 Maharashtra 15.58 19.65 13.5 0 50.712
14 Odisha 206.12 188.37 195.99 193.2872 180.4285
15 Punjab 5.77 1.71 0 3.5771 3.4533
16 Rajasthan 66.87 25.84 162.35 86.6884 195.457
17 Tamil Nadu 96.35 218.02 236.23 214.9556 197.3666
18 Telangana 97.63 32.54 65.09 49.2959 0
19 Uttar Pradesh 135.6 180.11 190.08 0 341.5501
20 Uttarakhand 11.51 2.4 11.64 8.8614 11.178
21 West Bengal 217.49 179.26 203.9 340.9406 271.2214
22 Arunachal Pradesh 0 0 0 0.5057 0
23 Assam 42.6 41.61 42.18 42.606 42.7796
24 Manipur 3.08 0.51 2.71 1.7803 2.6254
25 Meghalaya 3.15 1.47 2.74 2.8906 2.9597
26 Mizoram 0.71 0.36 0.76 0.8296 1.0714
27 Nagaland 1.38 0.69 1.72 0.6995 2.1333
28 Sikkim 0.81 0 0.68 0 0
29 Tripura 2.69 3.71 4.21 4.9925 9.3437
30 A&N Islands 0.27 0 0 0 0
31 Chandigarh 0 0 0 0 0
32 D&N Haveli and D&D 0 0 0 0 0
33 NCT Delhi 2.85 17.28 0 0 19.4961
34 Ladakh 0.09 0 0.15 0 0.411
35 Lakshadweep 0 0 0 0 0
36 Puducherry 3.16 1.81 0 0 0
TOTAL 1881.28 1769.19 2087.00 2009.80 2150.03
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