Government Schemes [India & States] Current Affairs MCQs

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AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal announced the Dr. Ambedkar Samman Scholarship for Dalit students. The scholarship offers full financial support for Dalit students to pursue higher education abroad. It covers tuition fees, travel costs, and living expenses for studying at top universities worldwide. The initiative ensures deserving Dalit students can access world-class education without financial barriers. This step by the Delhi government aims to empower the Dalit community through higher education opportunities.

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Prime Minister Modi will hand over 5.8 million property cards to owners in 50,000 villages across 12 states, four years after the Svamitva scheme’s launch. Svamitva (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) was launched by Ministry of Panchayati Raj in 2020. It was launched to provide rural property owners with official property records. It grants access to loans, reduces disputes, and improves village planning. The scheme has issued 20.19 million property cards and completed 92% of drone mapping in 317,000 villages. It empowers women, strengthens land rights, and promotes community development.

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IIM Bangalore conducted two studies under the SAAR-Sameeksha Series of the Smart Cities Mission, focusing on education and women’s safety improvements. 50 impact assessment research studies are part of the Sameeksha Series. “Smart Cities and Academia Towards Action & Research (SAAR)” program is a joint initiative of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and and leading Indian academic institutions. The initiative aims to document key projects and improve urban development by involving academia in assessing and providing feedback on smart city projects.

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India is promoting compressed biogas (CBG) as a future fuel to reduce fossil fuel usage and transition to renewable energy. CBG is produced from agricultural waste, animal waste, municipal solid waste, press mud, and sewage sludge. However, adoption of CBG plants has been slow, with only 115 plants operational as of December 2024, far from the 5,000 plant target by 2030. The GOBARdhan scheme, launched in 2018 under Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen-Phase II, focuses on converting cattle dung, agricultural waste, and organic materials into Biogas, CBG, and bio-fertilizers. It promotes a circular economy by turning waste into wealth. The scheme is managed by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

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Telangana will implement the Rythu Bharosa scheme, replacing the Rythu Bandhu scheme, starting from Sankranti. The scheme, launched in 2018-19, provides investment support to farmers for agriculture and horticulture crops. It offers Rs. 5,000 per acre per season for the purchase of inputs, with no cap on the number of acres. Eligible farmers must be residents of Telangana, own agricultural land, and have a Record of Forest Rights (ROFR) document if cultivating forest land. Small, marginal, and Scheduled Tribe farmers are eligible, but commercial and tenant farmers are not.

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Registrations for Yuva Nidhi Scheme has started in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka. Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah launched the Yuva Nidhi scheme in January 2024. The scheme provides financial aid to unemployed graduates and diploma holders for two years. The scheme is managed by the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Livelihood. Applications can be submitted on the Seva Sindhu portal, Karnataka One, Grama One, and Bapuji Seva Kendra.

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Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren transferred ₹1,415.44 crore to 56.61 lakh women under the Maiya Samman Yojana on January 6, 2024. Jharkhand’s government launched the Mukhyamantri Maiya Samman Yojana in August 2024. The scheme aims to empower women by improving access to education, health, and daily necessities. CM encouraged women to use the funds for nutritious food to combat anaemia and for gas cylinders, festival clothes, and school supplies for children.

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The Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries launched the second round of the PLI Scheme for Specialty Steel, called PLI Scheme 1.1. It will run from FY 2025-26 to FY 2029-30. It covers five product categories: coated/plated steel, high-strength steel, specialty rails, alloy steel products, and electrical steel. These products serve sectors like white goods, transformers, automobiles, and niche industries. Changes include reduced investment thresholds, allowance for carrying forward excess production, and participation through capacity augmentation without new mills. The scheme aims to boost domestic specialty steel production, reduce imports, and attract investments, originally expanded to steel in November 2020.

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The Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme, launched in January 2015, distributed 36.87 crore LED bulbs, saving ₹19,153 crore annually in electricity costs. It is the world’s largest zero-subsidy LED lamp distribution initiative, aiming for energy efficiency in households. The scheme replaced 77 crore traditional bulbs and 3.5 crore street lights, targeting savings of 85 lakh kWh and reducing CO2 by 15,000 tonnes. It is implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) under the Ministry of Power.

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Odisha became the 34th state to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), converging it with the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana. The scheme offers ₹5 lakh per family annually, with an extra ₹5 lakh for women, benefiting 1.03 crore families. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in New Delhi, attended by key union and state ministers. AB PM-JAY covers 45% of India’s population, with 8.19 crore hospital admissions recorded since inception. Odisha’s 4.5 crore beneficiaries will access cashless treatment in over 29,000 hospitals, enhancing healthcare for 86% of the population.