With strong macroeconomic fundamentals, Indian economy was well-placed on the trajectory of steady growth rate when the outbreak of coronavirus epidemic, emanating from China, was reported. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the epidemic as a pandemic. Normal economic activities around the world came to a screeching halt as governments announced lockdowns to prevent the spread of the disease. India announced a stringent nationwide lockdown from March 25, 2020. Most of the economic activities in urban areas were halted. However, rural India continued to be normal in view of the exemption from restrictions allowed to farmers to conduct farming operations, including harvesting and transporting their produce to grain markets with the general conditions of face covering, hand hygiene and social distancing. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, on May 12, 2020, a ` 20 lakh crore stimulus package which was about 10 percent of country’s gross domestic product (GDP). It was named as Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India Initiative). The details of the ` 20 lakh crore package were announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in five tranches during the next five consecutive days. Many of the measures announced by the Government were aimed at giving relief to the poor and lower middle class and increasing the pricing power of farmers. Over the years, India has built an extensive network of social security programmes and schemes, including the flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). This book explains and examines various social security programmes and schemes of the Government of India for the benefit of vulnerable and disadvantaged sections of the society. CONTENTS 1. COVID-19 and the Indian Economy 2. Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and the Poor 2.1 First Tranche Focused on MSMEs 2.2 Second Tranche for Poor and the Middle Class 2.3 Third Tranche for Farming Sector 2.4 Fourth Tranche for Privatization of the Economy 2.5 Fifth Tranche Focused on MGNREGS 2.6 Assessment of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package 3. Poverty and Global Hunger Index (GHI), 2019 3.1 Poverty in India 3.2 Global Hunger Index (GHI), 2019 and India 4. Social Justice and Social Security 4.1 Social Justice 4.2 Social Security 5. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) 5.1 Objectives and Significance of MGNREGS 5.2 Expression of Demand for Employment 5.3 Labour Budget, Inventory of Projects and Perspective Plan 5.4 Work Record, Payment of Wages and Preventing Bogus Muster Rolls 5.5 Vigilance and Transparency 5.6 Other Processes of MGNREGS 5.7 National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Software Package (NREGASoft) 5.8 Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) 5.9 Aadhar Linked Payments (ALP) 5.10 National Electronic Fund Management System (NeFMS) 5.11 GeoMGNREGA 5.12 Recommendations of NCEUS to Improve MGNREGS 5.13 New Guidelines to Strengthen MGNREGS 5.14 Some Recent Initiatives under MGNREGS 5.15 MGNREGS in Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan 5.16 MGNREGS: Concluding Observations 6. Food and Nutritional Security 6.1 India’s Food Security Policy 6.2 National Food Security Act, 2013 6.3 Forests and Food Security 7. Three-tier Universal Security System for the Poor 7.1 Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojna (PMSBY) 7.2 Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJBY) 7.3 Atal Pension Yojana (APY) 8. Farmer-friendly Schemes 8.1 Doubling Farmers Income by 2022-23 8.2 Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Fertiliser Sector 8.3 Remunerative Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) 8.4 Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) 8.5 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) 8.6 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PMKMY) 9. Cooking Fuel for the Poor 9.1 Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) 9.2 PAHAL: Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG Consumer (DBTL) Scheme 9.3 Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) 9.4 Direct Transfer of Cash Subsidy on Public Distribution System (PDS) Kerosene 10. Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana (PMAY): Housing for All (HFA) 10.1 PMAY-Urban 10.2 PMAY-Gramin 11. National Health Policy (NHP), 2017 and Ayushman Bharat 11.1 National Health Policy (NHP), 2017 11.2 Ayushman Bharat 11.3 New Initiatives for Maternal and New born Health 12. Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) and Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) 12.1 What is MUDRA? 12.2 Services Offered by MUDRA 12.3 Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) 12.4 Purpose of MUDRA Loan 12.5 MUDRA Card 12.6 Development and Promotional Support 12.7 Pricing of MUDRA Loans 12.8 MUDRA in the Budget for 2018-19 13. Start-up India Initiative, 2016 13.1 Meaning of a Start-up 13.2 Start-up India: Features 13.3 Simplification and Handholding 13.4 Funding Support and Incentives 13.5 India Aspiration Fund (IAF) for Start-ups 14. Stand-up India Scheme 14.1 Main Features of Stand-up India Scheme 15. National Skill Development Mission (NSDM), PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), and Other Initiatives 15.1 Launching of Skill India Mission 15.2 Objectives of NSDM 15.3 Institutional Mechanisms 15.4 NSDM Strategy 15.5 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 15.6 Udaan 15.7 Skill Loan Scheme 15.8 National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) 15.9 Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) 16. National Career Service (NCS) Project 16.1 Key Aspects of the NCS Project 16.2 Focus Areas 16.3 Services Offered 16.4 Career Counselling 16.5 Career Centres 17. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mechanism 17.1 Roll Out of the Programme 17.2 Prerequisites for Execution of DBT 17.3 Advantages of DBT 17.4 Disadvantages of DBT 18. Need for Inclusive Growth 18.1 Inclusive Growth Defined 18.2 Strategy for Inclusive Growth 18.3 Target Groups for Inclusive Growth 18.4 Enabling Role of the State for Inclusive Growth Bibliography Index