‘Sabka Saath–Sabka Vikas–Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ Gets Fresh Momentum
Lucknow:
According to the Uttar Pradesh Economic Survey 2025–26, the Yogi Adityanath-led state government has placed a strong emphasis on social security and welfare, proposing an expenditure of ₹34,504 crore for the financial year 2025–26. This marks a significant rise from ₹30,530 crore spent in 2024–25 and reflects a sharp increase compared to ₹18,674 crore allocated in 2017–18. The steady growth over the past nine years underlines the government’s commitment to integrating the deprived, poor, and backward sections into the mainstream of development.
The Economic Survey was tabled in the state legislature on Monday during the Budget Session by Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, highlighting the government’s welfare-oriented approach.
Financial Support for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities
The Survey notes a special focus on the economic empowerment of senior citizens and persons with disabilities. In 2025–26, up to December 2025, around 67.50 lakh elderly citizens and, up to January 2026, 22.89 lakh persons with disabilities were covered under pension schemes. In 2024–25, an expenditure of ₹7,363.55 crore enabled pension benefits to 60.99 lakh elderly beneficiaries—an increase of 62.79 percent compared to 2017–18.
Scholarship Schemes Support Poor and Backward Students
State-run scholarship schemes have emerged as a crucial support system for students from economically weaker and backward sections. By December 2025 in 2025–26, pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes benefited 3.42 lakh students from Scheduled Castes, 12.76 lakh from Other Backward Classes, and 1.30 lakh from the General Category.
In 2024–25, the government spent ₹636.34 crore on 14.98 lakh SC students, ₹2,454.32 crore on 29.94 lakh OBC students, and ₹909.99 crore on 8.78 lakh General Category students.
Chief Minister Abhyudaya Scheme Empowers Youth
Launched in 2021–22, the Chief Minister Abhyudaya Scheme has provided coaching and guidance to thousands of aspirants preparing for competitive examinations. In 2024–25, ₹34.92 crore was spent to benefit 23,017 candidates. In 2025–26, up to December 2025, ₹10.57 crore has already been spent, with 23,801 aspirants currently receiving training.
Support for Daughters Through Key Welfare Schemes
The Economic Survey highlights significant progress under schemes aimed at women empowerment. In 2024–25, as many as 95,466 marriages were conducted under the Mass Marriage Scheme—nearly five times the figure recorded in 2017–18—while expenditure on the scheme has increased almost sevenfold.
Additionally, up to January 2026, around 26.81 lakh girls have benefited under the Chief Minister Kanya Sumangala Scheme, providing a strong push to the empowerment and welfare of girl children.
Relief to Families Under National Family Benefit Scheme
Under the National Family Benefit Scheme, financial assistance is provided to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families in the event of the death of the earning head of the household. While 86.26 thousand dependents received assistance in 2017–18, the number of beneficiaries rose by 31.35 percent in 2024–25. In 2025–26, up to December 2025, assistance amounting to ₹162.50 crore was distributed to 53,607 dependents.
A Welfare-Driven Development Model
Overall, the Uttar Pradesh Economic Survey 2025–26 clearly demonstrates that sustained efforts in social security, education, women empowerment, and welfare of vulnerable sections have played a pivotal role in translating the vision of ‘Sabka Saath–Sabka Vikas–Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ into tangible outcomes on the ground.
