ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF THE मखयमतर मझ लडक बहण यजन ON WOMEN THROUGH THE ANALYSIS OF OTHER ECONOMIC INTERVENTIONS

<p>This paper assesses the potential long-term impacts of the मुख्यमंत्री माझी लाडकी बहीण योजना (LBY), a welfare initiative launched by the Government of Maharashtra in 2024, which provides ₹1,500 monthly to eligible women. It evaluates the likely developmental effects of the scheme through comparative analysis with two significant studies from Madhya Pradesh: one on increasing women's financial control through wage transfers (Field et al., 2019), and another on a Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot led by SEWA and UNICEF. The findings suggest that unconditional cash transfers can lead to improvements in financial inclusion, household welfare, and women's autonomy, particularly for socioeconomically constrained women. However, the paper also notes the limitations of such schemes, especially when applied to women already empowered, where labour force participation may decline due to income effects. Survey responses and real-life testimonials further illuminate the barriers faced in accessing LBY benefits and its perceived effectiveness among rural women. The paper concludes by advocating for a more targeted, evidence-based rollout of LBY, prioritizing highly constrained, rural women for maximum impact while cautioning against the administrative cost of over-targeting. The role of intermediaries like SEWA in bridging the last-mile delivery gap is also highlighted.</p>