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India’s Gender Budget has crossed the ₹5 lakh crore-mark for the first time since its introduction in the 2005 Budget. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s ninth consecutive budget allocated ₹5,00,878 crore for India's Gender Budget, a 11.54% increase from last year.
The Gender Budget crossed the ₹4 lakh crore-mark in the 2025 Budget and the ₹3 lakh crore-mark in the 2024 Budget. India’s Gender Budget has more than doubled since the 2023 Budget, when the total allocation stood at ₹2.23 lakh crore.
The Gender Budget, an annual financial statement of the total allocation to women-centric schemes, is divided into three parts. Part A covers schemes with 100% provision for women, Part B includes schemes with 30-99% allocations for women, and Part C, which was introduced in the July 2024 Budget, includes schemes with allocations of up to 30% for women.
Read more: Budget allocation alone won't fix gender gap in India's workforce
Part A schemes were allocated ₹1,07,688.42 crore, 5.2% higher compared to the 2025 Budget. Part B schemes saw a 12.7% increase in allocation in the 2026 Budget, standing at ₹3,63,412.37. Part C received ₹29,777.94 crores, rising over 22% from 24,299.97 crores received in the previous Budget.
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), which provides free food grains for the poor, was allocated a whopping ₹1.09 lakh crores — the highest for any scheme under the 2026 Gender Budget. This flagship programme – a Part B scheme – of the Department of Food and Public Distribution constituted over 20% of the total Gender Budget this year.
The Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was allocated ₹4,527.22 crores, just 1% higher compared to last year.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, despite being replaced with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission last year, received ₹13,956 crores. This was a massive 185% cut in total funding compared to the 2025 Budget. However, the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission was earmarked ₹44,506 crores.
Jal Jeevan Mission got a 53.90% hike in allocation compared to last year. From ₹23,380 crores in FY26, the flagship rural scheme received ₹35,982 crores this year.
At ₹52,575 crores, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Rural) got the highest allocation under Part A in Budget 2026. However, this was 5% lower compared last year. The urban counterpart of the scheme, meanwhile, received ₹18,625 crores.
The Gender Budget crossed the ₹4 lakh crore-mark in the 2025 Budget and the ₹3 lakh crore-mark in the 2024 Budget. India’s Gender Budget has more than doubled since the 2023 Budget, when the total allocation stood at ₹2.23 lakh crore.
The Gender Budget, an annual financial statement of the total allocation to women-centric schemes, is divided into three parts. Part A covers schemes with 100% provision for women, Part B includes schemes with 30-99% allocations for women, and Part C, which was introduced in the July 2024 Budget, includes schemes with allocations of up to 30% for women.
Read more: Budget allocation alone won't fix gender gap in India's workforce
Part A schemes were allocated ₹1,07,688.42 crore, 5.2% higher compared to the 2025 Budget. Part B schemes saw a 12.7% increase in allocation in the 2026 Budget, standing at ₹3,63,412.37. Part C received ₹29,777.94 crores, rising over 22% from 24,299.97 crores received in the previous Budget.
| Fiscal Year | Allocation (₹ Lakh Crore) |
| 2025-26 (BE) | 4.49 |
| 2024-25 (BE) | 3.27 |
| 2023-24 (BE) | 2.23 |
| 2022-23 (BE) | 1.71 |
| 2021-22 (BE) | 1.53 |
Key allocations in 2026 Budget
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), which provides free food grains for the poor, was allocated a whopping ₹1.09 lakh crores — the highest for any scheme under the 2026 Gender Budget. This flagship programme – a Part B scheme – of the Department of Food and Public Distribution constituted over 20% of the total Gender Budget this year.
The Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana was allocated ₹4,527.22 crores, just 1% higher compared to last year.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, despite being replaced with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission last year, received ₹13,956 crores. This was a massive 185% cut in total funding compared to the 2025 Budget. However, the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission was earmarked ₹44,506 crores.
Jal Jeevan Mission got a 53.90% hike in allocation compared to last year. From ₹23,380 crores in FY26, the flagship rural scheme received ₹35,982 crores this year.
At ₹52,575 crores, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Rural) got the highest allocation under Part A in Budget 2026. However, this was 5% lower compared last year. The urban counterpart of the scheme, meanwhile, received ₹18,625 crores.
