Government Schemes [India & States] Current Affairs MCQs

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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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Maharashtra Chief Minister announced free electricity for 80% of farmers in the state by December 2026. The government plans to generate 16,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power to provide 12-hour daytime electricity. This is part of the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Yojana (MSKY), a state initiative to promote solar-powered farming. MSKY includes off-grid solar pumps and decentralized solar projects for irrigation. The scheme aims to reduce power subsidies, cut pollution by replacing diesel pumps, and promote sustainable agriculture. It also helps ease the financial load on other electricity consumers while making farming more eco-friendly

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Public sector banks (PSBs) have raised concerns about the slow uptake of the PM Vidyalaxmi scheme. These concerns relate to the implementation of the scheme. The PM Vidyalakshmi scheme, a Central Sector Scheme, provides financial support to meritorious students for higher education. It targets students admitted to India’s top 860 Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs), ranked by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Students receiving other government scholarships or fee reimbursements are not eligible for this scheme. Students who discontinue studies or are dismissed for academic or disciplinary reasons are also ineligible for the scheme’s benefits. Loans can be applied for through the PM Vidyalakshmi portal, which offers a seamless, digital application process by integrating with various banks.

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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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The Delhi government recently launched the Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme, offering senior citizens aged 70 and above a health cover of up to ₹10 lakh annually. The scheme combines ₹5 lakh coverage from the central government’s Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) with an additional ₹5 lakh from the Delhi government. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the scheme at Thyagaraj Stadium. They distributed the first batch of Ayushman Vay Vandana cards to beneficiaries. These cards will store complete medical records, enable regular check-ups, and provide emergency service details.

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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 Bihar government launched the Mukhyamantri Neera Samvardhan Yojana to support toddy tappers and promote Neera as a non-alcoholic health drink. The scheme offers financial incentives to both palm tree owners and sap tappers. It aims to provide a sustainable livelihood option to marginalized communities like the Pasi Dalit community. The scheme is implemented by the Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department and Jeevika, which is the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society. Neera is the unfermented sap collected from palm trees before sunrise and is alcohol-free. If not consumed fresh, Neera naturally ferments into toddy, which contains about 4% alcohol. The toddy tapping season runs from April to July.

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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.