<h1>India and World Bank Sign $400M Deal to Boost Social Assistance for COVID-19 Impacted Poor and Vulnerable Communities.</h1> The Government of India and the World Bank have signed a $400 million project aimed at providing social assistance to India's poor and vulnerable, heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative is the second in a series, following a $750 million operation approved in May 2020. The program seeks to enhance the capacity of state and national governments to deliver social protection, focusing on urban and peri-urban areas. The project will support the expansion of India's safety net programs, offering food and cash support to poor households, urban migrants, and unorganized sector workers, with flexibility for state-specific needs.