Government Policies & Interventions are a set of laws, regulations, directives, and budget allocations formulated by the government to address societal issues and serve public welfare. These interventions take various forms, such as Acts (e.g., Right to Education Act, 2009), Institutions (e.g., NITI Aayog), and Schemes (e.g., Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana). The foundation for these interventions is laid by the Indian Constitution, which mandates the state to secure social, economic, and political justice for its citizens. Following independence in 1947, India adopted a path of planned socio-economic development, with early policies in the 1950s focusing on a mixed economy and land reforms.
A key intervention is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), a National Mission on Financial Inclusion launched in 2014 to solve the problem of financial exclusion. The mechanism involves providing a basic savings bank account with a zero balance, a RuPay debit card, and an overdraft facility of up to ₹10,000. Policies are interconnected and dynamic, often leading to institutional and structural changes. The NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) is a key related institution, established to replace the Planning Commission and reflect a shift from centralized planning. In the social sector, the Ayushman Bharat scheme, launched in 2018, was based on the recommendations of the National Health Policy 2017. Furthermore, the number of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs) was rationalized from 131 in February 2021 to 65 in 2022, demonstrating continuous policy review and amendment.