Asian Development Bank recommends India overhaul social protection system. The ADB's latest report highlights significant inefficiencies in India's welfare framework, where multiple central and state schemes create overlapping benefits with poor coordination on eligibility and delivery. The bank proposes an integrated social protection framework combining pensions, health insurance, and disability coverage to eliminate duplication and improve targeting. This unified approach could free substantial fiscal resources currently tied up in redundant programs, allowing reallocation toward critical infrastructure and human capital investments essential for sustained economic growth. The ADB also recommends shifting toward direct benefit transfers with verified beneficiary identities to reduce leakage and administrative waste.
