Grant of Incentive for Marriage Between Differently Abled Persons

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

Grant of Incentive for Marriage Between Differently Abled Persons is a scheme of the Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Puducherry. The scheme gives a married couple in which both partners have 40 percent or more disability a total incentive of Rs 2,50,000, Rs 50,000 paid in cash and Rs 2,00,000 issued as a National Savings Certificate.

The Directorate's purpose is to remove a practical barrier. Couples where both partners are differently abled often begin married life with lower earning capacity, higher medical costs and little family financial backing. A structured grant, most of it locked into a savings instrument, gives the household a base that a one-off cash gift would not.

The amounts on the Directorate's own scheme page; last updated 24 November 2025 to are Rs 50,000 cash and Rs 2,00,000 NSC. Older listings of this scheme, including national scheme aggregators, still show Rs 40,000 cash and Rs 1,60,000 NSC for a total of Rs 2,00,000. The Directorate's page is the current authority; confirm the figure at the counter when you file.

Key features

• Total incentive of Rs 2,50,000 per eligible couple.
• Split as Rs 50,000 in cash and Rs 2,00,000 in National Savings Certificates.
• Both spouses must have 40 percent or more disability.
• Household income ceiling of Rs 75,000 per annum.
• Claim window of 120 days after the registered marriage.
• Selection is periodical and subject to availability of funds.

Who is eligible for this marriage incentive?

You can apply if:

• Both the bride and the bridegroom are natives or residents of the Union Territory of Puducherry.
• Both spouses have a disability of 40 percent or above, certified by the competent medical authority.
• The bride is above 18 years and the bridegroom is above 21 years on the date of marriage.
• Annual income does not exceed Rs 75,000 per annum.
• The marriage is the first marriage for both partners.
• The marriage has been registered with the competent registering authority.
• The application is filed within 120 days after the marriage.

You cannot apply if:

• Only one partner is differently abled. That case is covered by the separate Puducherry scheme, Grant of Incentive for Marriage Between Differently Abled Person and Normal Persons, which carries a different amount.
• Either partner's certified disability is below 40 percent.
• The marriage has not been registered, or registration is still pending and cannot be completed inside the claim window.
• Either partner has been married before.
• Household income exceeds Rs 75,000 per annum on the Revenue Department certificate.
• The bride is 18 or under, or the groom is 21 or under, on the date of marriage.
• More than 120 days have passed since the marriage.

How much is paid, and in what form?

The incentive is Rs 2,50,000, structured deliberately:

• Rs 50,000 in cash, credited to the bank account, for immediate setting-up costs.
• Rs 2,00,000 as a National Savings Certificate, held in the couple's name. The NSC is a Government of India small savings instrument; it earns interest and matures after its fixed term, and it cannot be casually spent.

Sanction is not automatic on filing. The Directorate states that selection is periodical and depends on the availability of funds, so complete applications enter a sanction list. Applying early in the financial year, and filing a file with no missing documents, are the two things that actually improve your position.

How to apply for the marriage incentive

Two routes are available, offline at the Social Welfare offices, and online through the Puducherry e-District portal.

1. Collect or download the 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, or print the form published at socwelfare.py.gov.in for financial assistance for marriage between differently abled persons.
2. Fill in every mandatory field. Paste passport-size photographs, sign across them if asked, and attach self-attested copies of all documents: disability certificates of both spouses, marriage registration certificate, income certificate, age proof, residence proof and bank passbook.
3. Submit to the correct officer. Hand the completed form to the Deputy Director (Women Development) or to the Child Development Project Officer, depending on your location. The department's published guidance is to submit the application at least 30 days before the proposed marriage date where the marriage is upcoming; where the marriage has already taken place, the outer limit is 120 days after it.
4. Take a written acknowledgement. Ask for a receipt showing the date and time of submission and a unique reference number where one is issued.
5. Or apply online. Open edistrict.py.gov.in, click Login and then Register a New Membership, and create an account with username, password, full name, address, gender, date of birth, mobile number and email. Log in again, choose the Social Welfare Department from the department-wise list, open this scheme, fill the form, upload the documents, tick the declaration and submit. Save the application number that is displayed and sent by SMS.

How do I track the application and the payment?

• Online filings are tracked on the e-District portal's Track Your Application page at edistrict.py.gov.in with the application number.
• Offline filings are followed up with the Deputy Director (Women Development) or the Child Development Project Officer who received them, or at the Directorate on +91-413-2205871.
• After sanction, the cash component appears in the bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer, while the National Savings Certificate is issued separately in the couple's name — do not assume the scheme has failed because only Rs 50,000 shows in the passbook.

Why do applications get rejected?

• Marriage not registered. The most common reason. Register the marriage first; a temple or church certificate is not a substitute.
• Disability percentage below 40, or certificate from a non-competent authority. Get both certificates re-issued by the district medical board, or obtain UDID cards.
• Income certificate above Rs 75,000. The certificate must be recent and from the Revenue Department, Puducherry.
• Filed after 120 days. Diarise the deadline from the date of marriage.
• Age below the threshold on the marriage date. Bride must be above 18 and groom above 21 to not on the application date, on the marriage date.
• Wrong scheme chosen. Couples where only one partner is differently abled must file under the companion scheme instead; the file will otherwise be returned.
• Bank account problems. A name mismatch between Aadhaar and passbook stops the transfer.

What dates matter?

• 120 days after the marriage, the outer limit for filing.
• 30 days before the proposed marriage date, the department's guidance for applications submitted in advance of the wedding.
• Financial year timing; since sanction depends on availability of funds, a file lodged early in the year competes for a fuller budget.

How do I raise a grievance?

• Directorate of Social Welfare, No. 1, Saradhambal Nagar, Ellaipillaichavady, Puducherry - 605005, +91-413-2205871, +91-413-2205872, 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 portal: pgportal.gov.in, quoting the acknowledgement or e-District application number.