Government Schemes [India & States] Current Affairs MCQs

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The Department of Pharmaceuticals organized an industry dialogue in Mumbai on the Pharma MedTech sector (PRIP) Scheme to boost R&D and innovation in the Pharma-MedTech sector. The event brought together industry leaders, research institutes (ICMR, CSIR, NIPERs), and associations to discuss collaborations and industry-academia partnerships. The PRIP Scheme, launched by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, aims to make India a global leader in Pharma-MedTech R&D.

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The Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) framework aims to expand public Wi-Fi hotspots to build a digital India. Public Data Offices (PDOs) set up and operate WANI-compliant Wi-Fi hotspots and must partner with a Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) for internet services. As of March 20, 2025, India has 2,78,439 PM-WANI Wi-Fi hotspots. The scheme was launched by the Department of Telecommunication in December 2020. It aims to boost digital infrastructure, especially in rural areas, and generate employment for small and micro-entrepreneurs. It provides low-cost internet to underserved urban poor and rural households.

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Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) marked its 10th anniversary in April 2025, celebrating its role in promoting small businesses and financial inclusion. PMMY, launched in 2015 by the Government of India, aims to provide affordable credit to micro and small enterprises. It helps integrate underserved entrepreneurs into the formal financial system through easy access to credit. Loans up to ₹10 lakh are given for non-farm income-generating activities like manufacturing, trading, services, and processing. Loan categories include Shishu (up to ₹50,000), Kishore (₹50,000–₹5 lakh), and Tarun (₹5–10 lakh) based on business stage. No direct subsidy is given, but loans under government-linked schemes with capital support can benefit from PMMY.

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Mission Amrit Sarovar is helping rural people earn more by supporting activities like irrigation, fisheries, duck farming, water chestnut growing, and animal husbandry around water bodies. It was launched in 2022 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to promote water conservation and rural development. The mission plans to build or restore 75 water bodies in every district across India. It aims to fight groundwater depletion and water shortage by using both old and new methods. It works through a mix of government schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 15th Finance Commission Grants, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, and state programs. Public donations through crowdfunding and Corporate Social Responsibility are also encouraged.

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The Surat Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is the world’s first market-based system created to control particulate air pollution and was launched in 2019. ETS is a regulatory tool that sets a cap on total emissions and allows industries to trade emission permits, also known as the “cap-and-trade” system. Companies that pollute less can sell their extra permits to those that exceed their limits, promoting cleaner operations through economic rewards. The Surat ETS targets 342 high-emission industries, mostly in the textile sector, using fuels like coal, lignite, and diesel. It was developed by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) with support from the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), and Yale University. This scheme marks India’s first emissions market for any pollutant and is significant as it addresses particulate matter, not carbon dioxide.

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The Uttar Pradesh government launched the Resham Sakhi Yojana to economically empower rural women. The scheme allows women to earn income through sericulture by rearing silkworms at home. It is being implemented jointly by the State Rural Livelihood Mission and the Silk Department. Women will receive training in silkworm rearing to produce mulberry silk and tussar silk. Training for mulberry silk will be conducted in Mysore, Karnataka, and for tussar silk in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The scheme aims to benefit 50,000 women in 5 years. In the first phase, 7,500 women from 15 districts will be trained by 2025-26.

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The SVAMITVA Scheme, which stands for Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas, recently completed 5 years. It was launched on 24 April 2020 on National Panchayati Raj Day by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj as a Central Sector scheme. The scheme uses drones and mapping technology to give legal ownership papers for houses and land in villages. This helps villagers get loans, settle property disputes, and improve local planning. It is implemented by the Survey of India with National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI) as the technology partner. The scheme has a total budget of ₹566.23 crores from financial year 2020-21 to 2024-25, now extended to 2025-26.

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Recently, the Bihar Cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister approved ₹15,995 crore as subsidy for 2025–26 under the Mukhya Mantri Vidyut Upbhokta Sahayta Yojana. This amount is ₹652 crore higher than the allocation made in the previous year. Mukhya Mantri Vidyut Upbhokta Sahayta Yojana was started in Bihar to provide major electricity subsidies and reduce the financial load on consumers. The subsidy will lower the per-unit cost of electricity and will be directly paid to the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) through the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This benefit will appear in monthly energy bills from April 2025 to March 2026.

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The government has recently revised the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) to support innovation and entrepreneurship. The scheme is managed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and benefits startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). It helps startups get collateral-free loans by offering credit guarantees through eligible lenders like Scheduled Commercial Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registered Venture Debt Funds (VDFs). The guarantee cover has been increased to ₹20 crore, with loan coverage up to 85% for loans up to ₹10 crore. The annual guarantee fee has been reduced to 1% for key sectors, making borrowing easier for startups.

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The Ministry of Coal has signed the Coal Gasification Plant Development and Production Agreement (CGPDPA) with selected companies under Category II of the Coal Gasification and Incentive Scheme (CGFIS). The CGFIS scheme, launched in 2024, targets achieving 100 million tonnes of coal gasification by 2030. It supports India’s clean coal transition and aims to use domestic coal reserves efficiently. Coal Gasification is a process where coal is partially oxidised using air, oxygen, steam, or carbon dioxide (CO₂) to produce fuel gas in a controlled way.