Government Schemes and Policies Questions and Answers

Answer: B

The Early Childhood Development Conclave, the Paalan 1000 National Campaign and the Parenting App were launched in Mumbai on 16 August 2022, with Union Minister of State for Health Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar opening the event. The campaign focuses on the first 1000 days of a child's life and on early cognitive development.

Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata are not the city of this launch. The answer is Mumbai, which is the second option.

Answer: D

The spectrum tenure was increased to 30 years.

In September 2021 the Union Cabinet cleared a package of nine structural and five procedural reforms for the telecom sector, one of which raised the tenure of spectrum assignments from 20 years to 30 years.

22, 25 and 28 years are not the tenure fixed in the reform.

The package, cleared by the Union Cabinet on 15 September 2021, also allowed 100% foreign direct investment under the automatic route and a four-year moratorium on spectrum payments. The longer 30-year tenure was meant to give telecom operators more time to recover their investments.

Answer: A

The programme launched was the Fit India Mobile Application.

On 29 August 2021, National Sports Day, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur launched the Fit India Mobile App at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi. The app is based on the age-appropriate fitness protocols that had been released earlier.

Those protocols were launched before this event, Fit India School Week is a different programme, and Khelo India Youth Games are a separate event.

The launch was held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on National Sports Day, the birth anniversary of the hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. The app lets users check a fitness score and follow a personal plan based on the age-appropriate fitness protocols released the year before.

Answer: A

The mission was launched to enhance agricultural productivity by integrated farming.

The National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Its aim is to make agriculture more productive, sustainable, remunerative and climate-resilient, chiefly by promoting location-specific integrated or composite farming systems, together with soil health management and efficient use of water, especially in rainfed areas.

The other options name narrower goals that have their own schemes: organic farming under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, irrigation coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, and crop insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

Answer: D

SANKALP was launched to provide market relevant training to youths.

SANKALP, Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion, is a scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship supported by a World Bank loan. It aims to make skill training market-relevant and accessible, by strengthening skill development institutions at the central, state and district levels and improving the quality and reach of short-term training for young people.

It is not a health or general education scheme, so the options about healthcare for rural or urban poor and quality education do not fit.

Answer: C

e-Medha is an online public access catalogue for Indian medical heritage books.

e-MEDHA (electronic Medical Heritage Accession) was developed by the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage at Hyderabad, an institute of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences under the Ministry of AYUSH. It catalogues the institute's collection of books on Indian medical heritage so that readers can search it online.

The other descriptions fit sister portals of the same institute rather than e-Medha: NAMSTE for standardised Ayurveda terminology in clinical records, AMAR for information on rare manuscripts, and RMIS for managing research and development.

Answer: C

The correct statements are 1 and 3, so the answer is 1 and 3.

The Ease of Living Index is released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to rank cities on the quality of life they offer. Its 2020 edition gave a large weight, 30 percent, to a citizen perception survey in which residents rated their own city, so statement 3 is accepted.

The index was first released in August 2018, not 2019, so statement 2 is wrong. Statement 4 is wrong too: the index is built on many more measures than six, organised under pillars such as quality of life, economic ability and sustainability.

Answer: D

The answer is 1 and 4.

The Jaivik Kheti portal is the online marketplace for organic produce set up under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It is an e-commerce platform, and its whole purpose is to promote organic farming by connecting organic farmers directly with buyers. So statement 2 (not an e-commerce platform) and statement 3 (does not promote organic farming) are both false.

Every option except 1 and 4 includes statement 2 or 3, so elimination settles it. The key accepts statement 1 as worded, and statement 4 fits the portal's role: by letting farmers sell directly, it helps them discover better prices.

Answer: D

None of the statements is incorrect, so the answer is None of these.

Each description appears in the Economic Survey of Himachal Pradesh 2020-21. The eUdyan portal is a single window where farmers can avail horticulture services from home. The Vishesh Mahila Utthan Yojna is for the rehabilitation of physically and sexually abused women through technical and vocational training. Under the Medha Protsahan Yojna assistance up to Rs.1 lakh is given to meritorious students for coaching. The Mukhya Mantri 1 Bigha Scheme is to empower rural women and give them employment under MGNREGS.

As none is wrong, 2 and 3, 1 and 4, and 4 only are all wrong choices.

Answer: B

The order from newest to oldest is (2), (3), (1), (4).

1. MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes): announced in the 2023-24 Budget and launched in June 2023.
2. Atal Bhujal Yojana: launched in December 2019 for community-led groundwater management.
3. Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya): launched in 2017 for household electrification.
4. Stand-Up India: launched in April 2016 for bank loans to SC, ST and women entrepreneurs.

The options putting Saubhagya first or Stand-Up India early reverse these dates.