1. The NSAP is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Rural Development.
2. It came into effect on 15th August 1995 representing a significant step toward the fulfillment of the DPSP in Article 41 of the Constitution.
3. It aims to provide financial assistance to the elderly, widows, and persons with disabilities in the form of social pensions.
4. It currently covers more than three crore people who are below the poverty line (BPL), including about 80 lakh widows, 10 lakh disabled, and 2.2 crores elderly.
5. Those who are older than 80 years are paid ₹500 per month, while the rest are given ₹200 per month. These amounts have not been revised since 2007.
6. State governments add their own contribution, ranging from less than ₹500 to ₹2000 per month.
7. The scheme will need a total budget of ₹30,000 crores in order to increase the pension amounts to ₹800 and ₹1200.

SECC: A must-need reference

1. The government aims to enact a comprehensive social security and protection program to reach every household of old, widows, and orphaned children, divvying and deprived as per the Socio-Economic Caste Census.
2. However, the NSAP uses BPL Criteria to identify beneficiaries.
3. If SECC data was used to determine the number of people covered under the scheme instead of the current BPL criteria, coverage would double to about six crore people.
4. The several States, including Rajasthan, Telangana, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, have already shifted to SECC data for their own pension schemes.

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