section_path: By country/India
section_name: India
paragraph_text: India
  
  The Directive Principles of India, enshrined in part IV of the Indian Constitution, reflect that India is a welfare state. The National Food Security Act, 2013 aims to guarantee right to food to all citizens. The welfare system was fragmented until the passing of The Code on Social Security, 2020, which standardised most of the programmes.
  
  The Government of India 's social programmes and welfare expenditures are a substantial portion of the official budget, and state and local governments play roles in developing and implementing social security policies. Additional welfare measure systems are also uniquely operated by various state governments. The government uses the Aadhaar system to distribute welfare measures in India. Some of the social programmes undertaken by the government are:
  
  As of 2023, the government's expenditure on social programme and welfare was approximately ₹ 21.3 lakh crore (US$260 billion), which was 8.3% of gross domestic product (GDP). In 2020, the expenditure was ₹ 17.1 lakh crore (equivalent to ₹ 20 trillion or US$240 billion in 2023), accounting for 7.7% of GDP.