Pension amount for elderly, widows under NSAP unchanged since 2012; inflation makes it worse
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- National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) has kept monthly pensions for seniors, widows and disabled at ₹200‑₹500 since 2012, despite inflation.
- Union Ministry of Rural Development commissioned an evaluation showing real pension value eroded by about 45% (₹200 now worth ₹110) when adjusted for CPI, which rose 91% from 2012 to 2024.
- Academy of Management Studies calculated that to preserve purchasing power, pensions should be raised to ₹382‑₹955 based on the 2024 CPI level.
- Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress president) accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of austerity rhetoric while the BJP spent ₹5,987.46 crore on advertisements from 2014‑15 to 2024‑25 and failed to raise pensions.
- BJP government has not increased NSAP pensions for 12 years, leaving millions of elderly and vulnerable on eroding cash transfers.
Why it matters: Elderly, widows and disabled lose real income as their ₹200‑₹500 pensions shrink by 45%, deepening poverty and increasing demand for government relief while the BJP's spending priorities draw criticism.
