In News:

Ahead of International Women's Day 2025, the Maharashtra government has promised to deposit the 8th and 9th installment of Mukhyamantri Majhi LadkiBahin Yojana

Objective:
A flagship women-centric welfare scheme launched by the Maharashtra government in 2024 to provide monthly financial assistance to economically disadvantaged women and promote their socio-economic empowerment.

Key Features:

• Target Group: Economically weaker women aged 21 to 65 years, who are permanent residents of Maharashtra.
• Eligibility Criteria:
  • Annual family income must not exceed ?2.5 lakh.
  • No family member should be an income taxpayer.
• Financial Assistance: ?1,500 per month via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• Scheme Performance (as of Dec 2024):
  • Total disbursement: ?17,500 crore
  • Total beneficiaries: 2.38 crore women

Recent Update (March 2025):

• Installment Release: On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2025, the government released the 8th and 9th installments (?3,000 total) to 2.52 crore women for the months of February and March.
• Delay & Clarification: Due to technical delays in February’s payment, both months' amounts were disbursed together in March 2025.

Policy Outlook:

• Proposed Enhancement: During the 2024 election campaign, the government promised to raise the monthly benefit from ?1,500 to ?2,100.
• Current Status: No official decision has been made regarding the increase as of the 2025 budget session.