Srinagar, Dec. 9 -- India's push toward inclusive growth is based not only on economic growth but also on the promise that the most disadvantaged people are protected and helped. The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is the mainstay of this pledge - the Government of India's fully-funded Centrally Sponsored Scheme that has since the very start on 15 August 1995, offered a safety net for the poor (BPL) population.

The NSAP managed by the Ministry of Rural Development is now a huge welfare program in India characterized by its vastness and its capacity to improve the lives of people living in rural and urban areas, while at the same time helping to keep the Constitution's social justice promise alive.

NSAP is bringing monetary s...