Orunodoi: Assam’s Cash-Transfer Scheme for Women

Assam’s Orunodoi scheme predates every other state’s version of the same idea. Since 2020, its monthly payout has more than doubled, timed with two elections.

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Indian Society · IndSoc0069

Orunodoi

Assam’s Cash-Transfer Scheme for Women

2 Oct 2020

Assam launches Orunodoi, Rs 830/month.

7 Oct 2025

Orunodoi 3.0 raises payout to Rs 1,250.

4 May 2026

BJP-led NDA wins Assam, a third term.

1 Aug 2026

FY2026-27 payments resume, with loan access.

The Original Template

Orunodoi launched years before other states’ women’s cash-transfer schemes. Its payout has risen from Rs 830 to Rs 1,250, timed with two straight BJP-led NDA wins in Assam.

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Timeline

• 2 October 2020: Assam launches Orunodoi, under then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
• 7 October 2025: Orunodoi 3.0 raises the payout to Rs 1,250 a month, for 38 lakh families.
• 4 May 2026: The BJP-led NDA wins Assam’s election in a landslide, a third straight term.
• 1 August 2026: Assam resumes payments for FY2026-27, adding advance-payout and loan features.

Must Know

• Orunodoi is Assam’s cash-transfer scheme, for women heads of low-income households.
• It launched on 2 October 2020, under then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
• The scheme now pays Rs 1,250 a month, reaching over 37 lakh women.
• Eligible women must belong to an AAY (Antyodaya Anna Yojana) family, aged 16 to 59.
• A household’s annual income must be under Rs 2 lakh, to qualify.

Good to Know

• “Orunodoi” means “sunrise” in Assamese, a name chosen to signal a fresh start.
• The scheme began at Rs 830 a month, reaching about 17 lakh families.
• Its first beneficiaries were widows, unmarried women, divorcees, and divyang (specially-abled) persons.
• A 14 December 2022 hike, called Orunodoi 2.0, raised the payout to Rs 1,000.
• Payments go directly into a woman’s bank account, via Direct Benefit Transfer.
• See the full directory of every state’s cash-transfer scheme for women.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. On what date did Assam launch the Orunodoi scheme, and under which Chief Minister?

14 December 2022, Himanta Biswa Sarma

2 October 2020, Sarbananda Sonowal

7 October 2025, Himanta Biswa Sarma

9 April 2026, Sarbananda Sonowal

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Great to Know

• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called Orunodoi 3.0 Assam’s largest welfare scheme since independence.
• Orunodoi first launched shortly before Assam’s 2021 election, which the BJP-led NDA also won.
• On 9 April 2026, Assam voted in a single phase, across all 126 seats.
• The BJP-led NDA won 102 of 126 seats, with turnout at 85.38%.
• Congress’s chief ministerial face, Gaurav Gogoi, lost his own seat in Jorhat.

Current Affairs

• August 2026: Payments resume for a new financial year, with new borrowing features added.
  • On 1 August 2026, Assam resumed Orunodoi payments for FY2026-27, reaching 37 lakh women. (Source: Daily Pioneer)
  • Beneficiaries can now draw up to Rs 15,000 as an interest-free advance, repaid from future instalments. (Source: Assam Tribune)
  • They can also pledge future Orunodoi payments to secure a bank loan, with instalments deducted automatically. (Source: Assam Tribune)
  • Women in four flood-hit districts — Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat, and Jorhat — received an extra Rs 2,500. (Source: Daily Pioneer)
• March 2026: A pre-election Rs 9,000 grant reaches 40 lakh women.
  • On 10 March 2026, Assam transferred Rs 9,000 each to 40 lakh women, worth Rs 3,600 crore in total. (Source: Akashvani News)
• April-May 2026: Assam votes, and the BJP-led NDA wins a landslide.
  • Assam voted on 9 April 2026, in a single phase across 126 seats. (Source: Akashvani News)
  • Results on 4 May 2026 gave the BJP-led NDA 102 of 126 seats, its third straight term. (Source: DD News)