Grant of Incentive for Marriage Between Differently Abled Person and Normal Persons

What is the Grant of Incentive for Marriage Between Differently Abled Person and Normal Persons?

Grant of Incentive for Marriage Between Differently Abled Person and Normal Persons is a scheme of the Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Puducherry. The scheme pays Rs 1,50,000: Rs 30,000 in cash and Rs 1,20,000 in the form of a National Savings Certificate — when a differently abled person marries a person without disability.

The Directorate's stated intention is to encourage and support such marriages. Social attitudes, not law, are the barrier here: families frequently discourage a marriage in which one partner is differently abled, and the couple often starts out with no financial cushion. Puducherry's answer is a structured grant that signals official approval and leaves the household with a savings asset.

This is one of a pair of Puducherry schemes. The companion scheme, Grant of Incentive for Marriage Between Differently Abled Persons, applies where both partners are differently abled and pays a higher amount of Rs 2,50,000. Choosing the right one at the counter saves a rejected file.

The amounts stated here are those on the Directorate's own scheme page, last updated 24 November 2025. National scheme aggregators still carry an older figure of Rs 1,00,000 made up of Rs 20,000 cash and Rs 80,000 NSC. Ask the Deputy Director to confirm the sanctioned rate when you file.

Key features

• Total incentive of Rs 1,50,000 per eligible couple.
• Rs 30,000 in cash and Rs 1,20,000 in National Savings Certificates.
• One partner must have 40 percent or more certified disability.
• Household income ceiling of Rs 75,000 per annum.
• Application window of 120 days after the registered marriage.

Who is eligible for this incentive?

You can apply if:

• You are a native or resident of the Union Territory of Puducherry.
• The differently abled spouse has a disability of 40 percent and above, certified by the competent medical authority.
• The bride is above 18 years and the bridegroom is above 21 years on the date of the marriage.
• The annual income does not exceed Rs 75,000 per annum.
• The marriage is the first marriage for both the bride and the bridegroom.
• The marriage has been registered.
• The application is filed within 120 days after the marriage.

You cannot apply if:

• Both partners are differently abled. That situation is covered by the companion scheme, which pays more. You are not eligible under this one.
• Neither partner has a certified disability of 40 percent or more.
• The marriage is unregistered.
• Either spouse has been married before.
• Household income exceeds Rs 75,000 per annum.
• The bride was 18 or younger, or the groom 21 or younger, on the wedding date.
• More than 120 days have elapsed since the marriage.

How much is paid, and why is most of it an NSC?

The incentive is Rs 1,50,000, delivered in two parts:

• Rs 30,000 in cash, credited to the bank account for immediate expenses.
• Rs 1,20,000 as a National Savings Certificate in the couple's name.

The split is deliberate. A National Savings Certificate is a Government of India small savings instrument with a fixed term; it accrues interest and cannot be withdrawn on impulse. The design keeps four-fifths of the grant as a household asset rather than letting it be absorbed by wedding expenses in the first month.

Sanction is not instantaneous. The Directorate processes complete applications in batches, and disbursement depends on the budget available in the financial year. A file with every document attached moves faster than one that generates a query letter.

How to apply for this marriage incentive

1. Get the prescribed form. Visit the office or sub-office of the Department of Social Welfare during office hours and ask the entrusted staff for the prescribed format of the application form, or print it from the forms section at socwelfare.py.gov.in. Sub-office addresses for Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam are published on the same site.
2. Complete the form and attach the documents. Fill every mandatory field, paste passport-size photographs and sign across them if required. Attach self-attested copies of the disability certificate, marriage registration certificate, income certificate, age proof, residence proof, Aadhaar cards and the bank passbook.
3. Submit to the designated officer. Hand it to the Deputy Director (Women Development) or to the Child Development Project Officer, depending on your location. Where the wedding has not yet happened, the department asks for the application at least 30 days before the proposed marriage date.
4. Collect an acknowledgement. Ask for a receipt carrying the date and time of submission and a unique identification number where one is issued.
5. Or file online on the e-District portal. Go to edistrict.py.gov.in, click Login, then Register a New Membership and create an account. Log in, select the Social Welfare Department from the department-wise list of Puducherry schemes, open this scheme, fill the online form, upload the scanned documents, tick the declaration and submit. Note the application number displayed on screen and sent to your registered mobile number.

How do I check the status of the application?

• e-District filings can be checked on the Track Your Application page at edistrict.py.gov.in using the application number.
• Offline filings are followed up with the Deputy Director (Women Development) or Child Development Project Officer who received the file, or at the Directorate on +91-413-2205871.
• After sanction, the Rs 30,000 cash component reaches the bank account by Direct Benefit Transfer; the National Savings Certificate is issued separately, so the passbook will not show the full Rs 1,50,000.

Why are applications rejected, and how do you avoid it?

• Marriage not registered. Register the marriage as soon as possible after the ceremony; the certificate is a precondition, not a formality.
• Disability certificate below 40 percent or outdated. Obtain a fresh certificate from the medical board, or a UDID card.
• Income certificate above Rs 75,000. Use a recent certificate from the Revenue Department, Puducherry.
• Late filing. The 120-day window runs from the marriage date, not from the date you gathered the documents.
• Applied under the wrong scheme. If both spouses are differently abled, file under Grant of Incentive for Marriage Between Differently Abled Persons.
• Second marriage. The scheme is limited to first marriages for both partners, and the declaration in the form is checked.
• Bank name mismatch. Ensure the name on the passbook matches Aadhaar before filing.

What dates should I keep in mind?

• 120 days after the marriage is the outer limit for the application.
• 30 days before the proposed marriage date is the department's guidance for applications filed in advance.
• Registration of marriage should be completed early, since it must be done before the incentive can be sanctioned and the two deadlines run together.

How do I raise a grievance?

• Directorate of Social Welfare, No. 1, Saradhambal Nagar, Ellaipillaichavady, Puducherry - 605005, phone +91-413-2205871 and +91-413-2205872, email socwel@py.gov.in.
• Public Grievances Redressal Officer of the Directorate, +91-413-2205871.
• Director, Directorate of Social Welfare, +91-413-2206762.
• Sub-offices: Karaikal +91-4368-223026, Mahe +91-490-2332370, and the Welfare Officer in charge at Yanam.
• Central grievance portal: pgportal.gov.in, quoting your acknowledgement or e-District application number.