Category Policy Update

IMG 20260905 WA00031

Mapping India’s State wise Old-Age Pension Schemes

Old-age pensions are one of the oldest tools of social protection anywhere. In India it sits at the crosshairs of elderly poverty relief and dignity. The Union government's main instrument is the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) which is run by the Ministry of Rural Development. It has operated since 1995 and today comprises five components - the largest is the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS). IGNOAPS was introduced in 2007 (NSAP, 1995). IGNOAPS offers Below Poverty Line citizens aged 60 and above a monthly pension of ₹200 and which further becomes ₹500 after the recipient turns 80 years old (NSAP, 1995).

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Kerala Department wise Schemes Update 2026

Policy UpdatePragya Raghav Background Kerala’s welfare delivery operates in a state where geography, demography and social needs make reaching people effectively particularly important. Spread across 38,863 sq km and home to nearly 3.6 crore people, Kerala combines a densely populated…

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Decoding Chhattisgarh’s 2026 Scheme Landscape: Department-wise Updates and Outcomes

Chhattisgarh, carved out of Madhya Pradesh in November 2000, covers 1,35,192 sq km, the 9th largest state in India, and had a 2011 Census population of 2.55 crore, of which 30.6 percent belong to Scheduled Tribes and 76.8 percent live in rural areas (Forest Survey of India, 2019). Nearly 44 percent of the state is under forest cover, concentrated in the Naxal-affected Bastar and Surguja divisions, which makes last-mile welfare delivery in scattered, forested, low-density habitations a central governance challenge.

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Priyadarshini Scheme (2026): Advancing Inclusive Public Transport and Women’s Mobility in Kerala

Accessible and affordable public transportation is an important feature of inclusive development. It allows individuals to take part in the education system as well as access essential services like job placement and health services thereby encouraging economic participation. However, the cost of daily travel often places a financial burden on low- and middle-income households , especially women who have to use public transport to travel around. This may act as a discouragement for women to gain education, seek formal employment, become entrepreneurs, and engage in public activities. Therefore, it reinforces the existing gender inequalities. 

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Protecting the Aravallis: Forest Conservation Amendment Act, 2023 Vs Sustainable Mining Plans

As stated in an IMPRI Policy Insights piece by TK Arun, (Arun T. K., 2026), Mountains are potential mines! This cogent statement seamlessly highlights an ideological threat that has the potential to manifest into an ecological one. As four states, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi share one of Earth’s oldest geological structures, they each uptake non-uniform definitions in defining the hills. Thus, allowing loopholes as sanctions for mining in the Aravallis.

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Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Amendment Order, 2026: A Comprehensive Analysis

The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000 has for over two decades formed the legal backbone of household cooking fuel regulation in India. Issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, the Order governs how LPG connections are granted, how cylinders are distributed through government oil marketing companies, and how misuse of subsidised domestic LPG is prevented. Through the year 2026, the Ministry issued two significant amendments to this Order, each responding to a different aspect of India's changing cooking fuel landscape. The first amendment, notified on 14 March 2026, introduced a prohibition on the dual holding of LPG and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections by the same household. The second amendment, notified on 25 May 2026, eased the transition process for consumers who move from LPG to PNG by allowing them either to formally terminate their LPG connection or to obtain a transfer voucher that permits restoration of LPG supply if they later shift to an area without PNG infrastructure.

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