Indian Society

Statement 1 is Correct: Atal Pension Yojana is a minimum guaranteed pension scheme primarily targeted at unorganized sector workers in India. It encourages saving for retirement through regular contributions during their working years.

Statement 2 is Incorrect: There is no restriction on the number of family members who can join the Atal Pension Yojana scheme. As long as they meet the eligibility criteria (age 18-40 and savings bank account), multiple members within a family can enroll.

Statement 3 is Correct: Atal Pension Yojana provides a pension benefit for the spouse after the subscriber's death. The spouse becomes the nominee and receives a pension, though the specific amount might differ depending on the chosen pension plan by the subscriber.

Hence, option C is the correct answer.

SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) is a programme initiated by the Government of India (Ministry of Education) designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy: Access, Equity, and Quality.

Key Features of SWAYAM: 1. Objective: To bridge the digital divide for students who have remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy. 2. Content: It provides an integrated platform for online courses (MOOCs), covering school (9th class) to Post-Graduation level. These courses are developed by experts from premier institutions like IITs, IIMs, and Central Universities. 3. Cost: The courses hosted on SWAYAM are available free of cost to the citizens. However, a nominal fee is charged if a learner requires a certificate. 4. Quadrants: The platform offers a four-quadrant approach: video lectures, specially prepared reading material that can be downloaded/printed, self-assessment tests, and an online discussion forum for clearing doubts.

Statement 1 is Correct: The Stand-up India scheme aims at promoting entrepreneurship among women and scheduled castes and tribes.

Statement 2 is Correct: The scheme is anchored by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

- The scheme provides for a refinance window through Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) with an initial amount of Rs, 10,000 Crore. - Stand-Up India Scheme facilitates bank loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 Crore to at least one Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise. - This enterprise may be in manufacturing, services or the trading sector. - In the case of non-individual enterprises, at least 51% of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by either an SC/ST or woman entrepreneur.

Hence, option C is the correct answer.

Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan (National Campaign for Dignity and Eradication of Manual Scavenging) is a community-led national movement started in 2001 by the NGO Jan Sahas Social Development Society and other civil society organizations. Its primary objective is to eradicate the practice of manual scavenging and ensure the rehabilitation of manual scavengers through alternative livelihoods and social dignity. The campaign gained significant national attention through the 'Maila Mukti Yatra' (March for Liberation from Manual Scavenging), which mobilized thousands of women to leave the practice and demand their rights. While the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment implements government schemes like the 'Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers' (SRMS), the specific 'Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan' is a grassroots civil society initiative.

Statement 1 is Correct: Launched in 2011-12 as part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), the Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion (INSIMP) was designed to demonstrate improved production and post-harvest technologies, including value addition, using a cluster-based approach to enhance millet productivity.

Statement 2 is Correct: Millets are traditionally grown in rainfed and arid regions with poor soil quality. The primary cultivators in these regions are small, marginal, and tribal farmers who lack access to expensive irrigation; therefore, the scheme specifically targets these vulnerable groups as they have the largest stake in millet production.

Statement 3 is Incorrect: The scheme provides 'Minikits' and input kits (nutrients and plant protection) to farmers within identified millet clusters to improve existing yields. It does not include a mandate or specific incentives to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation.

All three indicators (1, 2, and 3) are used by IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) to compute the Global Hunger Index Report.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels. It's a peer-reviewed annual report, now jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.

Purpose: To assess hunger severity and track progress towards ending hunger.

Each country's GHI score is calculated based on a formula that combines four indicators that together capture the multidimensional nature of hunger - Undernourishment - The share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient; - Child Stunting - The share of children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition; - Child Wasting - The share of children under the age of five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition; and - Child Mortality - The share of children who die before their fifth birthday, reflecting in part the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.


Hence, option C is the correct answer.

District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) were established in India under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: Promoting mineral exploration activities in mineral-rich districts is not a stated objective of DMFs.

Statement 2 is Correct: The primary purpose of DMFs is to work for the welfare and benefit of areas and individuals affected by mining-related operations. This includes protecting the interests of the persons affected by mining operations.

Statement 3 is Incorrect: However, DMFs do not have the authority to issue licenses for mineral exploration, as this is the responsibility of the State Governments. Their focus is more on the welfare of the affected persons and areas.

Hence, option B is the correct answer.

Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) is aimed at providing affordable credit to micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the non-farm sector.

Here's a breakdown of its key objectives

- Financial Inclusion: MUDRA helps bring unbanked or underserved entrepreneurs into the formal financial system, enabling them to access loans from banks and other financial institutions. - Loan Products: The scheme offers a range of loan products categorized under three categories based on loan amount Shishu (up to Rs. 50,000), Kishore (above Rs. 50,000 up to Rs. 5 lakh), and Tarun (above Rs. 5 lakh up to Rs. 10 lakh). - Focus on Non-Farm Sector: MUDRA loans cater to income-generating micro enterprises engaged in manufacturing, trading, or service activities. - Activities allied to agriculture, like poultry, dairy, and beekeeping, are also included.

Hence, option A is the correct answer.

A seed village, wherein trained group of farmers are involved in the production of seeds of various crops and cater to the needs of themselves, fellow farmers of the village and farmers of neighbouring villages in the appropriate time and at an affordable cost is called a seed village.

PMJDY is a National Mission on Financial Inclusion encompassing an integrated approach to bring about comprehensive financial inclusion of all households in the country. The plan envisages:

- Universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic banking account for every household. - Financial literacy. - Access to credit. - Insurance and pension facility.

Business Correspondents (BCs) or Bank Saathis are agents appointed by banks to provide basic banking services in rural and unbanked areas where setting up a full-fledged branch might not be feasible.

They act as a bridge between the bank and the local population, offering essential financial services

Statement 1 is correct: BCs can help villagers access government subsidies and social security benefits electronically deposited into their accounts. This eliminates the need to travel long distances to banks and reduces the risk of cash handling. Statement 2 is correct: Villagers can deposit their savings or withdraw cash through BCs, promoting financial inclusion and facilitating small transactions without requiring them to visit a bank branch.

Therefore, both options (1 and 2) are the facilities that beneficiaries can avail through Business Correspondent services.

Banks have to lend a minimum of 40% to the priority sector, which includes all of the given sectors.

Priority Sector Lending is an important role given by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the banks for providing a specified portion of the bank lending to a few specific sectors, like: - Agriculture and allied activities, - Micro and small enterprises, - Poor people for housing, - Students for education, and - Other low-income groups and weaker sections.

This is essentially meant for all-round development of the economy as opposed to focusing only on the financial sector.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is inspired by the vision of transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the architecture of an Inclusive India .

The Mission of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is to enable higher educational institutions to work with the people of rural India in identifying development challenges and evolving appropriate solutions for accelerating sustainable growth. It also aims to create a virtuous cycle between society and an inclusive academic system by providing knowledge and practices for emerging professions and to upgrade the capabilities of both the public and the private sectors in responding to the development needs of rural India.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Vidyanjali Yojana is not focused on attracting foreign universities to set up campuses in India.

Statement 2 is correct. Vidyanjali Yojana aims to improve government schools by leveraging resources and expertise from the private sector (retired professionals, NGOs) and the community (volunteers).

Statement 3 is incorrect. While the initiative might indirectly lead to improved infrastructure due to volunteer efforts, its primary focus is not on monetary contributions for infrastructure development.

The National Nutrition Mission, also known as Poshan Abhiyaan, has several objectives. - The first objective is to create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers. - The second objective is to reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women. These two objectives are clearly stated in the mission's goals. Hence, statements 1 & 2 are correct.

However, the promotion of the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice, and the promotion of the consumption of poultry eggs are not explicitly stated as objectives of the mission. Hence, statement 3 & 4 are incorrect.

The National Pension System (NPS) was introduced by the Central Government for its employees (excluding the Armed Forces) effective from January 1, 2004.

Why Option C is correct: Following the Central Government's implementation, various State Governments adopted the NPS architecture for their own employees. The scheme becomes applicable to State Government employees based on the specific date of notification issued by their respective State Governments.

Analysis of other options: - Option A is incorrect: NPS is open to all Indian citizens, including both Resident Indians and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). - Option B is incorrect: The eligibility age for joining NPS is 18 to 70 years (it was 18 to 60 years at the time of the scheme's launch). - Option D is incorrect: The NPS specifically excludes the Armed Forces. Furthermore, the implementation date for Central Government employees was January 1, 2004, not April 1, 2004.

Demographic dividend refers to the economic growth potential that results from shifts in a population's age structure, specifically when the share of the working-age population (15 to 64 years) is larger than the non-working-age share. To reap the benefits of this transition, the expanding workforce must be productive and employable. Promoting skill development is essential to enhance the quality of human capital, ensuring that the labor force possesses the technical and vocational expertise required by the economy. Without adequate skills, a large working-age population can lead to unemployment and social instability rather than economic growth, a point emphasized in the 12th Five Year Plan and subsequent Economic Surveys.

* The poverty line is determined by the cost of a basket of essential goods and services needed for a person to meet their basic needs.

* If the price of these essentials varies significantly between states, the poverty line needs to be adjusted to reflect the different costs of living.

* So, even if poverty rates might be similar, states with higher prices for essential goods will have a higher official poverty line.

Therefore, the correct answer is B) Price levels vary from State to State.

Option A is incorrect: Proportion of literates in the population While education is important, it's an individual skill, not a measure of social interaction or trust. Option B is incorrect: Stock of buildings This falls under physical capital, which refers to tangible assets like buildings and infrastructure. Option C is incorrect: Size of population in the working age group This is a demographic factor and doesn't tell us anything about social connections or trust. Option D is correct: Social capital refers to the intangible assets of a community or society. It's not about physical resources or demographics, but rather the quality of relationships and connections between people. Option D, the level of mutual trust and harmony, directly reflects this concept.

Statement 1 is Correct. WaterCredit uses microfinance tools to help people access clean water and sanitation solutions. It provides small loans to individuals and households to invest in these facilities.

Statement 2 is Incorrect. WaterCredit is not a global initiative under WHO and World Bank. It's an initiative of Water.org, an international non-profit organization focused on water and sanitation access.

Statement 3 is Correct. WaterCredit aims to empower people by enabling them to pay for their own water and sanitation needs, reducing reliance on potentially unreliable subsidies.

Therefore, the correct answer is 1 and 3 only.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The India Sanitation Coalition (ISC) was launched on June 25, 2015, at FICCI, New Delhi. ISC is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together the private sector, government, financial institutions, civil society groups, media, donors/bilateral/multilateral, and experts to work in the sanitation space through a partnership model. It is not funded by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Statement 2 is incorrect. The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is India's premier urban think tank, shaping the urban narrative since its establishment in 1976. It is an autonomous body registered under the Societies Registration Act, not an apex body of the Ministry.

Statement 1 is correct: The MPLAD scheme lets MPs recommend works for local infrastructure and development needs in their constituency. The focus is on creating durable assets that benefit the community. Certain works are prohibited under MPLAD guidelines, which MPs must follow.

Statement 2 is correct: The scheme requires MPs to allocate at least 15% of the MPLADS entitlement for the year to areas inhabited by the Scheduled Caste population and 7.5% for areas inhabited by the Scheduled Tribe population. If there are insufficient tribal populations in the MP's constituency, they can recommend this amount for the creation of community assets in tribal areas outside their constituency, but within their State of election. If a state does not have Scheduled Tribe inhabited areas, this amount can be utilized in Scheduled Caste areas.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Funds released to the District Authority by the Government of India under the MPLAD scheme are non-lapsable, meaning that funds left in the district can be carried forward and utilized in subsequent years.

Statement 4 is correct: The District Authority is responsible for coordinating and supervising the works under the scheme at the district level. They also inspect at least 10% of the works under implementation every year.

Based on the above information, the correct answer is (d).

Both statements are correct.

The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) plays a crucial role in ensuring equal access to justice for all in India.

Statement 1 is correct: NALSA's primary objective is to offer free and competent legal services to the underprivileged sections of society. This empowers them to navigate the legal system and fight for their rights, regardless of their financial background.

Statement 2 is correct: NALSA functions as the apex body, setting guidelines and frameworks for State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) to implement legal aid programs and initiatives throughout the country. These SLSAs operate at the state level to deliver legal services to the public.