A year after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed power in Delhi following its decisive victory in the 2025 assembly elections, a review of its 16 key election manifesto promises shows that while there has been rapid progress on welfare schemes, there has been much slower progress on institutional reforms and anti-corruption checks.
Assessment of commitments indicates that six commitments have been almost fully implemented, five have been partially implemented, and five are pending or in the policy formulation stage. This pattern reflects a government that has prioritized visible, domestic-level economic support while structural governance changes are proceeding at a more cautious pace.
Implementation of welfare schemes is going on at a rapid pace
The government moved most rapidly on direct welfare measures requiring budgetary allocations, particularly in the health, education and transport sectors where implementation mechanisms were already in place.
One of its first decisions was to adopt the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme ₹Rs 5 lakh state-funded top-up, doubling insurance coverage ₹Rs 10 lakh per beneficiary family. The move, approved at the first Cabinet meeting, marked a major expansion of publicly funded health coverage in the capital. Officials said additional empanelment of private hospitals under Ayushman Bharat is underway, while new primary health care centers are being planned to expand the coverage.
Healthcare experts said the move marks a structural shift in Delhi’s public health care financing. Dharminder Nagar, co-chairman of FICCI Healthcare and MD, Paras Healthcare, said, “In a city where the cost of tertiary care is high, the scheme has expanded access to quality treatment across public and listed private hospitals. However, to deepen its impact, more mid-sized and specialty hospitals in Delhi should join the network.”
Under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, more than 83,700 beneficiaries have been enrolled ₹Rs 31.68 crore distributed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to pregnant and lactating women. Additional nutritional benefits are being planned.
Promise of subsidized LPG cylinder ₹Rs 500 for poor women has been approved at the policy level, with DBT-based implementation linked to ration card verification. The disbursement is expected before Holi in early March.
Food offered in Atal canteen ₹5 was launched on December 25 – the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee – and is now operational in more than 70 locations. Although largely welcomed, some beneficiaries have demanded a larger share, which the government has said it will review.
The administration has also continued the schemes started by the previous AAP government and promised not to discontinue any welfare programme. The manifesto said, “Our government will not only continue the existing schemes, but we will also make them more effective by eliminating corruption in these schemes.”
The implementation can be seen as converting mohalla clinics into Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and increasing their number to 1,100. This is also reflected in the recently launched Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana, in which the government has upgraded the benefits of the Laadli scheme being given during the Congress government and has also started distribution of the pending amount to over 300,000 beneficiaries which was not done in the last 10 years.
Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh said the Ayushman Arogya Mandir initiative brings quality healthcare closer to communities. “The aim is to ensure that senior citizens and families do not have to travel long distances to hospitals for basic medical care, as essential services are now being provided in their neighborhoods,” Singh said.
Sajjan Kumar, political analyst at the Policy Research and Center for Contemporary India Study (PRACCIS), said welfare expansion has been a clear focus of the government. “The BJP’s strategy has prioritized domestically visible economic support. These schemes are politically important and administratively easier than structural reforms like institutional restructuring. However, the Delhi government has also started taking steps in this direction by announcing plans to align districts with municipal areas,” he said.
Continued progress in social security promises
Many labor and social protection measures are in progress but have not been fully implemented. Draft rules have been prepared for the Welfare Board to offer life and accident insurance coverage to auto drivers, taxi drivers and domestic workers. ₹10 lakh more ₹5 lakh respectively. A policy is also being prepared for gig worker social security.
However, the much-hyped Chief Minister Mahila Samriddhi Yojana is still not implemented ₹2,500 per month to women from poor families – a scheme that was originally the title of the BJP manifesto. Last year, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had announced that the Cabinet had approved ₹A budgetary provision of Rs 5,100 crore was also made for the scheme. The government has now said that the eligibility criteria are still being “fine-tuned” for comprehensive coverage.
Similarly, while budgetary allocation has been made for the Dr. BR Ambedkar Stipend Scheme, registration and disbursement is yet to begin. Under this, SC students pursuing technical and professional education in the city will get monthly stipend. ₹1,000.
Similarly, the government has expanded coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor Atmanirbhar Nidhi Yojana to increase the number of street vendor beneficiaries, although officials said the expansion depends on new surveys and identification of eligible vendors.
Institutional Reform: What’s Left?
The area where the government’s delivery has been relatively slow is on promised structural governance reforms. The document’s emphasis on anti-corruption enforcement has not yet translated into major investigative results visible to the public.
The manifesto promised special investigation teams (SITs) to probe alleged irregularities in excise policy, transport, water supply, mohalla clinics and classroom construction. Although administrative reviews have begun, no major investigations have concluded publicly.
The government has also not decided the future of the former chief minister’s residence, which is under investigation in connection with allegations of huge expenditure during the previous administration. In an interview with HT last week, Chief Minister Gupta directly addressed the issue: “Kejriwal had built a Sheesh Mahal for himself while leaving the people of Delhi struggling with basic civic necessities… We have still not decided what can be done with the structure and have not taken any decision yet.”
Meanwhile, broader structural goals, such as universal free education expansion and large-scale infrastructure enhancements, remain in the planning stage. The promise of providing free education from KG to PG in government institutions is still in its initial stage. Officials said consultations are underway to assess the financial implications and infrastructure capacity. Government announced financial assistance in education sector ₹Rs 15,000 to youth preparing for competitive exams, plus reimbursement of travel expenses for the exam. Registration portals have been created, however disbursement has not yet started.
Certainly, an important step was the introduction of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fee Determination and Regulation) Act, 2025, although this law was not part of the BJP’s original manifesto. The objective of this Act is to bring transparency in fee determination by private schools by resolving the long standing grievance of parents.
Education Minister Ashish Sood said that in the first year, the government has focused on upgrading infrastructure while giving priority to tech-enabled education. “We have strengthened primary education with the planning of over 700 smart classrooms, 175 ICT and language laboratories and other infrastructure upgrades in government and MCD schools where education is already free. We will also soon increase focus on free higher education. We also faced serious challenges in dealing with the funding crunch for the last 10 years that 12 Delhi government colleges were facing,” Sood said.
The BJP had also promised to increase the pension for senior citizens aged 60-70 years by increasing the monthly assistance. ₹from 2,000 ₹2,500, and enhancing support for those above 70 years of age, widows, destitute persons and persons with disabilities. ₹from 2,500 ₹3,000. Finance Department officials confirmed that revised disbursements are being planned, but again, no rollout has been announced yet.
The government also promised extended support for farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, including increase in annual assistance ₹from 6,000 ₹9,000 through additional state contribution. Officials said financial feasibility is being assessed and coordination with central authorities is ongoing. However, the government has not yet made any announcement towards implementing it. Insurance coverage and social security expansion for informal workers is also under policy development, but no real progress has been made yet.
Officials said fiscal priorities played a role in sequencing the reforms. “The budget allocation has focused first on welfare and social security. Gradually, major structural changes are being made,” said a senior official.
The CM has also said that many provisions have been made to repay the debt of the previous government.
road to year 2
Overall, the first year of the BJP government shows an emphasis on welfare delivery and social security expansion, while deep institutional reforms are in progress.
Speaking to HT last week, CM Rekha Gupta had said that while the first year was about learning the nuances of governance, identifying problem areas and drafting policies, the second year will see more implementation and changes at the ground level.
With several schemes operational and others waiting to be launched, the government’s manifesto agenda is a work in progress. The coming year will test its ability to translate policy announcements into sustained institutional reform along with sustained welfare delivery.
