The Delhi High Court has raised concerns about the necessity for women to secure an endorsement from their local Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in order to qualify for benefits under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana (DLY). This inquiry was made during a session on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, and has sent ripples through the legal and administrative landscape.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia questioned the validity of this requirement, pointing out that the scheme’s stated eligibility criteria do not mandate such an endorsement. However, the application process appears to implicitly make it compulsory. The court indicated that tying a woman’s application to the opinion of an MP or MLA may not represent the most suitable method for assessing her eligibility.

Scheme Overview and Legal Challenges

The Delhi Lakshmi Yojana is designed to provide financial support of Rs 2,500 per month to eligible women in the capital. The petition, which was the focus of the hearing, was filed by Abhishek Dutt and Vedpal Sheetal Chaudhary, who have challenged several stipulations within the scheme. Among the most contentious points is the requirement for an MP or MLA endorsement.

According to the petitioners, the scheme was previously referred to as the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana and received approval from the Delhi Cabinet in March 2025, with a financial outlay of Rs 5,100 crore. They contend that the original Cabinet decision made no mention of a requisite endorsement from an MP or MLA, thus calling into question the legality of its recent enforcement.

Additional challenges presented by the petitioners include the stipulation that applicants must have resided continuously in Delhi for ten years and limits on the number of children within a family. They also raised issues regarding the restriction of benefits to the eldest eligible woman in a household and disqualifications based on criminal records.

Next Steps and Registration Details

The Delhi High Court has directed the counsel for the Delhi government to seek guidance on the endorsement issue and will reconvene to address the matter next week. The petitioners have asserted that the requirement for mandatory MP or MLA endorsements is posing significant hurdles for women attempting to register for the benefits of the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana.

Online registration for the scheme commenced on August 1, and the petitioners allege that the endorsement stipulation is proving problematic for many potential applicants. The court’s upcoming hearings may lead to modifications in the eligibility criteria or clarify the endorsement matter, which could significantly impact the implementation of the scheme.

The case continues to draw attention as legal scrutiny raises important questions about the intersection of governance and the accessibility of welfare programmes aimed at empowering women in Delhi.

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