Government Schemes [India & States] Current Affairs MCQs

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The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister announced that funds under the Ladli Behna Yojana will now be transferred from Mandla district and disbursed regularly around the 15th of each month. Ladli Behna Yojana is a scheme launched by the Madhya Pradesh Government on 28th January 2023. The main aim of this scheme is to economically empower the women of Madhya Pradesh. So far, ₹1553 crore has been transferred directly to the bank accounts of 1.27 crore women beneficiaries. With the amount increased to ₹3000 per month, more women will benefit and improve their financial condition.

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The Parth Scheme, also known as Police Army Recruitment Training and Hunar (PARTH), is an initiative by the Madhya Pradesh Government to help youth prepare for careers in the police and army. It will be implemented by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department from 1st May 2025 as a pilot project. The pilot will run in nine major cities: Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Rewa, Morena, Shahdol, Sagar, Indore, and Ujjain. The scheme was first launched in January 2025. Fifty youth will be selected from each city, benefiting a total of 450 youth. It will offer full training for recruitment in the army, police, and paramilitary forces.

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the “Mukhya Sevak Samvad” scheme to directly communicate with beneficiaries of government schemes and assess their ground-level implementation. The initiative aims to understand beneficiaries’ experiences and evaluate the success of these schemes.

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Madhya Pradesh government has announced that farmers who burn crop residue, also known as narwai, will be denied benefits under the Chief Minister Kisan Kalyan Yojana. They will also not be allowed to sell their crops at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in the following year. The Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana was launched by the Madhya Pradesh government. This scheme aims to financially assist farmers in the state, particularly those with limited economic resources, to improve their farming capabilities and increase their income.

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The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are now working together under the wastepickers component of the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme. UNDP is providing financial support to State Project Management Units (PMUs) to strengthen the scheme’s implementation. The NAMASTE Scheme was jointly launched by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in 2023 to protect the safety and dignity of sanitation workers. Its wastepicker component was launched in 2024 with the goal to digitally profile and register 2.5 lakh wastepickers across India. It also provides health insurance under Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), and offers skill development training.

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The Government of Madhya Pradesh has banned stubble burning due to a rise in such cases after crop harvesting. Farmers found burning stubble will be denied benefits under the Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana (MKKY). Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana (MKKY) was launched by Madhya Pradesh government to provide financial help and improve the economic condition of farmers. It also aims to promote the use of modern agricultural technologies in the state. This decision highlights the government’s focus on controlling pollution and encouraging sustainable farming practices.

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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the revised SHAKTI scheme on May 8, 2025. SHAKTI stands for Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India, aimed at providing coal to thermal power plants. The revised policy simplifies the coal linkage process to help power plants meet short-term and long-term needs. It introduces two windows: coal at notified price and coal at premium over notified price. Central and state thermal power projects, including joint ventures, will get coal at notified price as per existing rules. States can allocate this coal to their own power companies or Independent Power Producers (IPPs) chosen through Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB).

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The Government of India recently expanded the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) to improve credit access for startups. CGSS was launched in 2022 to offer credit guarantees for loans given by Scheduled Commercial Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). It helps reduce the credit risk of lending institutions by offering a guarantee on loans given to eligible startups. Eligible startups are those recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under its official guidelines. The National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) implements the scheme by providing the guarantee to the lending Member Institutions (MIs), not directly to the startups.

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The Spices Board recently launched the “Sustainability in Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development (SPICED)” scheme for 2025–26. The Spices Board, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is responsible for the scheme’s implementation. The scheme aims to make the spice sector more sustainable and boost spice exports from India. It helps improve the productivity of small and large cardamom through financial support. It promotes organic farming and good agricultural practices to ensure better quality. The scheme provides funds for modern post-harvest machines like dryers, polishers, and slicers. It also supports startups, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and small businesses through Spice Incubation Centres. It ensures spices meet global food safety and plant health standards.

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The Uttar Pradesh government has launched the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Abhiyan Yojana to boost self-employment among youth. Under this scheme, young entrepreneurs can get interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh. No collateral or personal guarantee is required to avail the loan. The aim is to support youth in starting their own businesses and becoming self-reliant. This initiative encourages entrepreneurship and job creation in the state. It is a step toward empowering youth and reducing unemployment through financial assistance. The scheme reflects the state’s commitment to inclusive economic development.