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Social Safety Net
A social safety net is the set of public programmes, such as food subsidies, employment guarantees, pensions and cash transfers, that protect households from poverty after job loss, illness, crop failure or old age.
Why It Matters
A strong safety net lets people take risks, because one bad year will not ruin them.
In India
India’s safety net combines subsidised grain, rural job guarantees, direct cash transfers and health insurance for poorer families.
See it in the news
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