Which state launched the Ladli Behna Yojana, a monthly cash-transfer scheme for women?

Madhya Pradesh. Ladli Behna Yojana was launched by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on 5 March 2023, in Bhopal. Read more: IndSoc0059 — Ladli Behna Yojana: Madhya Pradesh's Cash-Transfer Scheme for Women.

On what date was the first installment of Ladli Behna Yojana paid, to 1.25 crore women?

10 June 2023. The first installment, Rs 1,000 each, was paid on 10 June 2023, to 1.25 crore beneficiary women. Read more: IndSoc0059 — Ladli Behna Yojana: Madhya Pradesh's Cash-Transfer Scheme for Women.

What was the original monthly amount paid under Ladli Behna Yojana, at its June 2023 launch?

Rs 1,000. The scheme began by paying Rs 1,000 a month to eligible women, later raised to Rs 1,250 and then Rs 1,500. Read more: IndSoc0059 — Ladli Behna Yojana: Madhya Pradesh's Cash-Transfer Scheme for Women.

Ladli Behna Yojana is separate from Madhya Pradesh's older Ladli Laxmi Yojana. What does Ladli Laxmi Yojana target?

Girl children's education, through a lump-sum payout. Ladli Laxmi Yojana, launched in 2007, provides a lump-sum payout for girl children's education, distinct from Ladli Behna's monthly cash transfer to adult women. Read more: IndSoc0059 — Ladli Behna Yojana: Madhya Pradesh's Cash-Transfer Scheme for Women.

In 2025, CM Mohan Yadav announced Ladli Behna Yojana's monthly amount would rise to Rs 1,500. From when would this take effect?

From Diwali 2025. CM Mohan Yadav announced in 2025 that the monthly amount would rise from Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,500, effective from Diwali 2025, with a further rise to Rs 3,000 planned by 2028. Read more: IndSoc0059 — Ladli Behna Yojana: Madhya Pradesh's Cash-Transfer Scheme for Women.

Ladli Behna Yojana: Madhya Pradesh’s Cash-Transfer Scheme for Women

Madhya Pradesh promised women ₹1,000 a month in 2023. By 2025 the amount had already risen to ₹1,500. The state now plans to double it again by 2028.

At a Glance

Four facts to hold on to.

Launched

5 March 2023, by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Amount now

₹1,500 a month (from ₹1,000 in 2023).

Women covered

Over 1.25 crore.

Target

₹3,000 a month by 2028.

DBTDirect Benefit Transfer, money sent straight to the bank account.

Cash-transfer schemeA scheme that pays money directly to beneficiaries.

Ladli Laxmi YojanaOlder 2007 MP scheme for girl children.

Raksha BandhanFestival when the 2023 hike to ₹1,250 was announced.

In this lesson

Launch and Eligibility
Payments, Exclusions and a Namesake
Budget, Copycats and the 2028 Goal
Current Affairs

Launch and Eligibility

Must Know

Basics

Ladli Behna Yojana is a Madhya Pradesh scheme that pays women a fixed sum every month.
CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched it on 5 March 2023.
Money goes by Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Who qualified

Women aged 21 to 60 years.
The first enrolment round set the minimum at 23. It was later lowered to 21.
Family income below ₹2.5 lakh a year.

Scale

The first instalment came on 10 June 2023.
Each of 1.25 crore women got ₹1,000.
Now more than 1.25 crore women are covered.

Chart of Ladli Behna monthly payout from ₹1,000 to a planned ₹3,000 — Chart: Ladli Behna monthly payout.

True or False: Ladli Behna Yojana was launched in Madhya Pradesh on 5 March 2023.

Payments, Exclusions and a Namesake

Good to Know

How much and when

The amount rose to ₹1,250 around Raksha Bandhan 2023.
In 2025, CM Mohan Yadav announced that it would go to ₹1,500 after Diwali.
Payments reach bank accounts around the 10th of each month.

Stage	Monthly amount
June 2023 launch	₹1,000
Raksha Bandhan 2023	₹1,250
After Diwali 2025	₹1,500
Planned by 2028	₹3,000

Who is excluded

Government employees.
Income-tax payers.
Women who already draw certain other pensions.

Do not mix it up

Ladli Laxmi Yojana is a different, older MP scheme from 2007.
It helps girl children with education through a lump-sum payout.

True or False: Ladli Laxmi Yojana pays adult women a monthly cash transfer.

Budget, Copycats and the 2028 Goal

Great to Know

Scale of spending

For 2025–26 the state set aside ₹18,699 crore for the scheme. It was part of ₹27,147 crore for women-focused programmes.
The 2026–27 provision is reported at about ₹23,883 crore.
MP set aside over ₹18,000 crore in a single year’s budget for the scheme.
More than one crore women registered within weeks of applications opening in 2023.

A template for other states

Several other states launched similar women’s cash-transfer schemes afterwards.
West Bengal’s Lakshmir Bhandar is one example.
See the full list in Cash-Transfer Schemes for Women: A State-by-State Directory.

Looking ahead

The government says it plans ₹3,000 a month by 2028.
The scheme was widely credited as a factor in the BJP’s 2023 assembly election win.
Reports in 2026 count about 1.25 crore eligible women on the scheme portal.
At that scale the bill would be many times larger than today’s ₹18,000 crore.

Think it through: why compare a cash transfer with a skills scheme?

A cash transfer gives money now with few conditions. A scheme like Lakhpati Didi builds income over time through skills and enterprise. Both aim at women’s economic strength, but they work on different timelines.

True or False: The monthly amount under Ladli Behna Yojana was announced to rise to ₹1,500 after Diwali 2025.

Current Affairs

Latest position

CM Mohan Yadav announced the rise from ₹1,250 to ₹1,500 in 2025.
He repeated it on 13 September 2025 in Jhabua, while sending ₹1,541 crore to about 1.26 crore women.
The same event paid LPG subsidy of ₹48 crore to 31 lakh women.
The ₹1,500 amount began after Diwali 2025.
The government has repeated its ₹3,000-by-2028 goal.

True or False: Ladli Behna Yojana pays women through Direct Benefit Transfer.

Quick Q&A

Launched?

5 March 2023.

First instalment?

10 June 2023.

Age range?

21 to 60 years.

Amount now?

₹1,500.

2028 target?

₹3,000.

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