Government Schemes [India & States] Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini launched the Lado Laxmi Yojana to support women financially. Under this scheme, women in Haryana will receive Rs 2,100 per month. The announcement was made during the state’s budget presentation for the financial year 2025-26. The total budget for Haryana was Rs 2,05,017 crore. The scheme aims to provide economic security and empowerment to women.

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The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticized the Union Ministry of Tourism for poor implementation of the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. The scheme was launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Tourism to develop sustainable, responsible tourism destinations through thematic circuits. It is a 100% centrally funded scheme. The Ministry provides financial assistance to State Governments, UT Administrations, and Central Agencies. States/UTs are responsible for operation and maintenance. Key features include theme-based tourism circuits, infrastructure development, eco-tourism, and heritage conservation efforts.

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Rajasthan government launched the One Time Settlement Scheme (OTS) to support farmers and small entrepreneurs. The scheme aims to protect them from financial crises and stabilize land development banks. Borrowers who repay 100% of overdue medium and long-term loans by July 1, 2024, will get a 100% interest rebate. A 5% subsidy will help borrowers avail loans again. The scheme benefits 36,351 defaulting loan members with Rs. 760 crore overdue loans. The government will spend Rs. 200 crore to ease loan recovery and improve bank finances. It will boost new loans, production, and business recovery.

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The Jharkhand government has announced a lump sum payment of ₹7,500 under the Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana for January-March 2025. Women without Aadhaar-linked bank accounts will still receive this payment temporarily until March 2025. To continue receiving benefits after March 2025, beneficiaries must link their bank accounts with Aadhaar and maintain a single account. The Jharkhand cabinet, led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, approved this amendment along with 18 other proposals. 38 lakh women have already received the payment, while 20 lakh more will receive it by March 31, 2025. The Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana is a welfare initiative by the Jharkhand government. It provides financial assistance to economically disadvantaged women in the state.

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A Parliamentary Standing Committee urged the Education Ministry to release over ₹4,000 crore in Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal. The funds are withheld as these states have not signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the PM SHRI scheme. The report emphasized that SSA predates PM SHRI and is crucial for implementing the Right to Education (RTE) Act. PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India) is a centrally sponsored scheme under NEP 2020 to establish 14,500 model schools with holistic education, 21st-century skills, and eco-friendly infrastructure.

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The government launched the Palna Scheme under Mission Shakti to offer day-care crèche support for children of working mothers and promote Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth. Introduced in 2022, it replaced the National Creche Scheme and falls under the ‘Samarthya’ sub-scheme of Mission Shakti. It aims to provide safe, quality care for children aged 6 months to 6 years, covering all mothers, whether employed or not. States and union territories will also explore online registration in partnership with Labour and Employment Departments.

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Odisha launched a unified health scheme combining Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana (GJAY), formerly Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY). The merged scheme now covers 1.03 crore families (3.46 crore people) in Odisha. Health cards will be accepted in 29,000 hospitals nationwide and distributed within three months. Every family member is eligible, and 23 lakh senior citizens will get free medical care. 4,000 doctors have been appointed; 5,374 more will follow.

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The Maharashtra government has reduced the stipend for about eight lakh women under the Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. These women also receive benefits from the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi (NSMN) scheme. Under the revised rule, they will now get Rs 500 per month instead of Rs 1,500 from the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. This is because they already receive Rs 1,000 monthly under the NSMN scheme. As per the scheme rules, the total financial help from the government per woman cannot exceed Rs 1,500. The Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana was launched in 2024 to support women across Maharashtra.

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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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The Uttar Pradesh government has launched the “One Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya One Sport” scheme to promote sports among girls studying in Kasturba Gandhi Residential Girls Schools (KGBVs). The scheme aims to give special sports training and promote the physical, mental, and social growth of girls from backward and underprivileged communities. It will help these girls prepare to compete at the national level in sports. In the pilot phase, two KGBV schools from each of the 73 districts, except Kanpur Dehat which has one, will be included. A sports committee in every school will select one sport based on the students’ interest and available resources. Sports experts will provide special training, and health check-ups and awareness sessions on nutrition and hygiene will be held.