The Haryana cabinet, in a significant move on Thursday, greenlit a series of amendments to the Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, reshaping it from a straightforward cash assistance program into a more comprehensive, outcome-driven initiative. The changes aim to bolster women's social security while encouraging positive social outcomes in education and child health.
Revised Financial Structure: Cash Plus Savings Model
While the total monthly financial benefit for eligible women remains unchanged at Rs 2,100, its disbursement method has been fundamentally altered. From the second month of enrollment, the assistance will be split into two streams. A direct transfer of Rs 1,100 will continue to be credited to the beneficiary's savings bank account.
The remaining Rs 1,000 will now be directed into a government-operated Recurring Deposit (RD) or Fixed Deposit (FD) account in the woman's name. The accumulated corpus, along with the accrued interest, will be paid out to her upon maturity. The government will decide the tenure of these deposits, which will not extend beyond five years.
New Social Development-Linked Eligibility Criteria
In a major shift, the scheme's eligibility has been expanded beyond income parameters to reward specific achievements in child development. Mothers can now qualify based on their children's accomplishments.
For academic excellence, mothers whose children study in government schools and secure more than 80% marks in Class X or XII board exams will be eligible. Additionally, mothers of children in Classes I to IV who achieve grade-level competency under the NIPUN Bharat Mission are also covered.
For health milestones, mothers who successfully rehabilitate their children from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) or Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), as certified by the women and child development department, will be included.
However, this expanded eligibility under the social development criteria comes with specific conditions. The family income limit for this category is set at Rs 1.8 lakh per annum as per the Family Income Dependency Ratio (FIDR). Aligning with the Viksit Bharat vision's focus on socio-economic development and family size, mothers with more than three children will not be eligible under this new category. The existing age and domicile requirements remain in force.
Enhanced Transparency Through Community Validation
To ensure greater transparency and foster community involvement, the amended framework introduces a robust validation process. After the initial verification by the Chief Reporter of Indian Districts (CRID), the list of potential beneficiaries will be shared with gram sabhas in rural areas and area sabhas or ward committees in urban areas for scrutiny and approval at the community level.
The Deen Dayal Lado Lakshmi Yojana, launched on September 25, 2025, witnessed massive uptake, with approximately 10 lakh women registering within just two months. The latest amendments are designed to build on this success, transforming the scheme into a holistic tool for empowerment that incentivizes education, health, and financial savings, directly supporting the broader objectives of Viksit Bharat.
