Intent to Implementation: Tracking India’s Social Protection Response to COVID-19

Shrayana Bhattacharya and Sutirtha Sinha Roy

No 160059, Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes from The World Bank

Abstract: The article takes stock of the social protection measures implemented through the Pradhan MantriGarib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) to respond to the livelihoods impact of COVID-19 in India. The paper reports the share ofhouseholds that received food, cash transfers and both forms of assistance under the PMGKY program at the national andstate level. While a few surveys have reported coverage and benefit receipt information related to PMGKY, the currentanalysis draws on one of India’s largest panel survey of households from CMIE to better quantify the coverage andtargeting parameters. Results find that nearly 80 percent of all households received at least one social protectionbenefit from government programs. Approximately 40 percent of all poor households reported receiving both food and cashassistance. While subsequent versions of the paper shall attempt to unpack quantum of assistance, the first round ofresults on receipt of any transfers suggest that relief measures have been pro-poor and broad-based in outreach.However, there are state level variations in benefit delivery. Urban areas have lagged in coverage and cashtransfers reached fewer shares of households relative to food distribution through the Public Distribution System(PDS). Furthermore, analysis highlights the need to bolster benefit levels for any future relief measures. Drawing onlessons from PMGKY implementation, the article concludes with suggestions on designing a decentralized and adaptivesocial protection system in India to protect the poor and vulnerable against impacts from the second wave of thepandemic and any future crises.

Keywords: Social Protections & Assistance; Disability; Services & Transfers to Poor; Access of Poor to Social Services; Economic Assistance; Inequality; Social Development & Poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-06-01
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