The Karnataka government launched the Anna Bhagya Scheme in July 2023, replacing 5 kg of free rice with Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) of ₹34 per kg per person per month due to a lack of rice availability. This pioneering move marked India’s first unconditional cash transfer for food grains.
Arcus Policy Research studied the impact of this scheme across 1,585 households in six districts, gathering insights during August–September 2023.