**Executive Summary**
This document presents the government's response to questions regarding the coverage of social protection schemes and poverty reduction in India, answering questions raised in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1968, which is scheduled to be answered on 11.02.2026. It highlights the increased coverage of social security and the decrease in multidimensional poverty, and mentions the government's commitment to achieving SDG target 1.2. No explicit action items are included.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Social Security Coverage:**
* India's social security coverage has increased from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, according to ILOSTAT data.
* This expansion is attributed to digital and financial inclusion initiatives, including Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar-enabled identification, and the Direct Benefit Transfer system.
* The government's initiatives includes programs such as Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan Dhan, PM- POSHAN, Janani Suraksha Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Saman Nidhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana and Health protection through Ayushman Bharat
* **Poverty Reduction:**
* As per the National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023 released by NITI Aayog, the proportion of the population in multidimensional poverty declined from 24.85% in 2015-16 to 14.96% in 2019-21, with about 13.5 crore people escaping poverty during this period.
* A NITI Aayog discussion paper estimates that multidimensional poverty declined from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23, indicating that about 24.62 crore people escaped poverty.
* India is on track to achieve SDG target 1.2 of halving multidimensional poverty by 2030.
**Impact Analysis**
**Government (Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, Ministry of Culture)**
* **Impact:** The government needs to continue existing policies and programs to maintain progress towards poverty reduction and expand social security coverage. They also need to monitor and report on the progress toward achieving SDG target 1.2.
* **Action Required:** No specific action is directed to the government in the document.
**General Population (Including Men, Women, and Children)**
* **Impact:** Continued access to and expansion of social protection schemes and continued poverty reduction efforts will directly impact the population.
* **Action Required:** No specific action is directed to the population in the document.
Key Entities Referenced
Social protection schemes: General category of initiatives providing coverage, specifically referenced in the document's title and content.
NITI Aayog: The institution responsible for releasing the National Multidimensional Poverty Index and associated reports, influencing poverty assessment and policy decisions.
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan Dhan: A specific social protection program aimed at providing pension benefits to unorganized workers.
Jan Dhan: A financial inclusion program that focuses on expanding bank account coverage.
Ayushman Bharat: A health protection scheme aimed at extending accessible healthcare.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PLANNING
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1968
TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026
COVERAGE OF SOCIAL PROTECTION SCHEMES
1968. SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI:
Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:
(a) the manner in which the Government looks at the Report that
64.3 per cent of population is covered under social protection
schemes as compared to 22 per cent during the year 2016;
(b) whether it is also true that proportion of men, women and
children of all ages living in poverty in all dimensions has
declined from 24.8 per cent to 14.9 per cent; and
(c) whether the Government envisages that poverty can be removed
at this pace by 2030 as mandated by SDGs and if so, the details
thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF
STATISTICS & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF STATE
(INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) According to the latest data from the International Labour
Organization's (ILO) ILOSTAT database, India's social security
Page 1 of 2coverage has increased from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025. India’s
expansion in social protection coverage has been enabled by a strong
foundation of digital and financial inclusion. Bank account coverage
under Jan Dhan, combined with Aadhaar-enabled identification and the
Direct Benefit Transfer system, has enabled benefits to reach the
intended recipients swiftly and transparently. Complementing this, a
wide array of social protection programmes include Pradhan Mantri
Shram Yogi Maan Dhan, PM- POSHAN, Janani Suraksha Yojana,
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Saman Nidhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Matru
Vandana Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana, etc. In
addition, Health protection through Ayushman Bharat, supported by
the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, has extended accessible
healthcare.
(b) & (c) As per the National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A
Progress Review 2023 released by NITI Aayog, the proportion of
population in multidimensional poverty declined from 24.85 per cent in
2015-16 to 14.96 per cent in 2019-21, indicating that about 13.5 crore
people have escaped poverty during the period. Further, as per the
discussion paper “Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005-06”
published by NITI Aayog, multidimensional poverty in India is
estimated to have declined from 29.17 per cent in 2013-14 to 11.28 per
cent in 2022-23, indicating that about 24.82 crore people have
escaped poverty during this period. These results highlight that India
is on track in achieving SDG target 1.2 of halving multidimensional
poverty by 2030. The substantial progress in all indicators of the
National MPI which intersect across multiple SDGs demonstrates the
concerted efforts made to achieve overall progress. This is
attributable to a multi-faceted strategy focused on empowerment and
inclusive growth.
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