Government Schemes
Government Schemes & Programmes
India runs dozens of flagship schemes spanning employment (MGNREGA), financial inclusion (Jan Dhan, Mudra), health (Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY), housing (PMAY), and energy (Ujjwala, Surya Ghar). Exams test scheme launch years, coverage figures, financial details, and implementation mechanics. Know MGNREGA's 100-day guarantee, Mudra categories, and PM-JAY's Rs 5 lakh coverage cold.
Key Dates
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act passed — implemented as NREGA from February 2006 in 200 districts
MGNREGA extended nationwide (all 648 districts); renamed Mahatma Gandhi NREGA in 2009
Jan Dhan Yojana (August 28 — Guinness record for most accounts in one week), Make in India, Swachh Bharat Mission launched
PM Mudra Yojana, Start-Up India initiative, PMJJBY, PMSBY, APY launched; Gold Monetisation Scheme
PM Ujjwala Yojana — free LPG connections to BPL women; Stand-Up India; Startup India Action Plan; PM Fasal Bima Yojana
Ayushman Bharat — PM Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) launched; Saubhagya (free electricity connections)
PM-KISAN announced in Interim Budget; Jal Jeevan Mission launched; PMEGP restructured
PM SVANidhi (street vendors), PM CARES Fund, Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan; Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
PM Gati Shakti NMP launched; Swachh Bharat 2.0; AMRUT 2.0; Jal Jeevan Mission — Urban
PM Vishwakarma (artisans/craftspersons); PM JANMAN (vulnerable tribal groups); PM Surya Ghar (rooftop solar)
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana — free electricity up to 300 units through rooftop solar for 1 crore households
Agnipath scheme for defence recruitment; PM-DevINE for Northeast; SMILE for marginalised communities
Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, PM Awas Yojana launched — urban transformation trilogy
Employment & Rural Development — MGNREGA
MGNREGA (2005, implemented 2006) is the world's largest employment guarantee — 100 days of unskilled manual work per rural household per year. It is a legal entitlement, not a discretionary scheme. Work must start within 15 days of application; otherwise unemployment allowance kicks in (1/4th of wage for first 30 days, 1/2 thereafter). The 60:40 wage-material ratio ensures at least 60% goes to wages, keeping works labour-intensive. Gram Sabha approves work plans covering water conservation (check dams, ponds), drought-proofing, irrigation canals, flood control, rural roads, and land development. Mandatory social audit by Gram Sabha ensures transparency. At least 1/3 beneficiaries must be women (actual: ~55%). Wages link to CPI-AL and vary by state (Rs 281 in Bihar to Rs 374 in Haryana, FY24). FY24: 5.9 crore households employed, 1.06 crore person-days generated, Rs 86,000 crore budget. Average days per household: ~48 (below the 100-day guarantee). 3.5 crore assets created. Impact: reduced rural distress migration, raised rural wages 15-25%, improved groundwater through water conservation, empowered women through bank-account wages. Criticisms: wage payment delays (25-30 days vs 15-day mandate), poor asset quality, ghost job cards, Aadhaar-based biometric failures excluding genuine beneficiaries. MGNREGA surged to Rs 1.11 lakh crore during COVID (FY21), serving as a rural safety net. Exams test the 100-day guarantee, 60:40 ratio, and 15-day employment timeline.
Other Rural Development & Employment Schemes
PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan (2020): For returning COVID migrants — 25 schemes converged across 116 districts in 6 states. Rs 50,000 crore allocated. PMEGP: Credit-linked subsidy (15-35% of project cost) for micro-enterprises, managed by KVIC. Maximum: Rs 50 lakh (manufacturing), Rs 20 lakh (services). Over 8 lakh enterprises established. DAY-NRLM: Self-employment through SHGs targeting 9-10 crore rural households. 9.1 crore women in 84 lakh SHGs. SHG bank linkage: Rs 2 lakh crore annual credit — world's largest women's community network. SVAMITVA: Drone-based mapping gives rural homeowners property cards usable as bank collateral. 3.1 crore cards distributed. PMGSY: All-weather rural roads. 7.36 lakh km constructed. 97.8% eligible habitations connected. Budget: Rs 19,000 crore (FY25). PMAY-Gramin: Pucca houses at Rs 1.20 lakh (plains) / Rs 1.30 lakh (hilly). Target: 2.95 crore. Completed: 2.67 crore by 2024. Converges with SBM (toilet), MGNREGA (labour), and PMAY (materials). PMAY 2.0 (2024-29) adds 3 crore houses (1 crore urban, 2 crore rural) at Rs 10 lakh crore total. Banking exams test MUDRA categories and PMJDY account numbers. SSC asks PMGSY km constructed and PMAY unit cost.
Financial Inclusion & Credit Schemes
PMJDY (August 28, 2014): World's largest financial inclusion programme. Zero-balance accounts with RuPay debit card, Rs 2 lakh accident insurance, Rs 30,000 life cover, and Rs 10,000 overdraft without collateral. Over 53 crore accounts (2024), deposits Rs 2.26 lakh crore, 67% rural/semi-urban, 56% women-held. PMJDY anchors the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan + Aadhaar + Mobile) for DBT. PM Mudra Yojana (2015): Collateral-free loans for micro/small enterprises. Three categories: Shishu (up to Rs 50,000, 60% of loans), Kishore (Rs 50,001-5 lakh, 32%), Tarun (Rs 5-10 lakh, 8%). Cumulative: Rs 27 lakh crore to 47 crore accounts. 68% to women. NPA: ~3%. MUDRA Ltd is a SIDBI subsidiary. Stand-Up India (2016): Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore for SC/ST and women entrepreneurs — at least one SC/ST and one woman borrower per bank branch. 1.87 lakh loans worth Rs 42,000 crore. CGTMSE: Government guarantees collateral-free MSME loans up to Rs 5 crore (raised from Rs 2 crore in 2023). Covers 85% of default. Rs 7.5 lakh crore guaranteed cumulative. PM Vishwakarma (2023): Support for 18 traditional trades (carpentry, blacksmithing, goldsmithing, pottery, weaving, tailoring). Collateral-free loans: Rs 1 lakh (first tranche), Rs 2 lakh (second). Skill training, modern tools, digital payments, market linkage. Target: 30 lakh families. Budget: Rs 13,000 crore. Banking exams ask Mudra categories and CGTMSE guarantee limits.
Health & Nutrition Schemes
Ayushman Bharat has two pillars. (1) AB-HWCs: 1.5 lakh sub-centres and PHCs upgraded for comprehensive primary care — NCD screening, teleconsultation (e-Sanjeevani, 30+ crore consultations), free essential drugs and diagnostics. Over 1.65 lakh operational (2024). (2) PM-JAY (September 2018): Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. Covers ~55 crore beneficiaries (10.74 crore families from SECC 2011). Cashless at 30,000+ empanelled hospitals (60% private, 40% public). 1,949 treatment packages. Over 7 crore treatments cumulatively. Expenditure: Rs 70,000+ crore. PM-JAY is the world's largest government health insurance. Key limitation: no OPD coverage (60-70% of out-of-pocket spending). Expanded to all 70+ senior citizens in Budget 2024-25. PM POSHAN: Cooked meals for 11.8 crore children in 11.2 lakh schools. Norms: 450 kcal (primary), 700 kcal (upper primary). Budget: Rs 12,467 crore (FY25). POSHAN Abhiyan (2018): Targets reducing stunting/underweight by 2%/year, anaemia by 3%/year. POSHAN Tracker monitors 14 lakh Anganwadi workers digitally. Stunting fell from 38.4% (NFHS-4) to 35.5% (NFHS-5). Mission Indradhanush accelerates immunisation toward 90%. Exams ask PM-JAY coverage (Rs 5 lakh) and beneficiary count.
Energy, Water & Sanitation Schemes
PM Ujjwala (2016): Free LPG connections for BPL women. Total: 10.27 crore connections. Reduced indoor air pollution (linked to 10 lakh premature deaths annually). Challenge: many beneficiaries skip refills due to cost (Rs 900-1000/cylinder). Targeted subsidy: Rs 300/cylinder for up to 12/year. PAHAL (DBTL): LPG subsidy to bank accounts for 30 crore beneficiaries. Give-It-Up: 1.3 crore voluntary surrenders. Saubhagya (2017): Free electricity connections. 2.86 crore provided. Household electrification: 82% to ~99%. PM Surya Ghar (2024): Free electricity up to 300 units/month through rooftop solar. Subsidy: Rs 30,000 (1 kW), Rs 60,000 (2 kW), Rs 78,000 (3 kW+). Target: 1 crore households. Budget: Rs 75,021 crore. Jal Jeevan Mission (2019): Piped water (55 lpcd) to every rural household. Coverage: 3.23 crore (17%, 2019) to 15.1 crore (77%, 2024). Budget: Rs 3.60 lakh crore. IoT sensors monitor water quality. Paani Samitis manage local supply. Swachh Bharat (2014): Phase 1 built 11.73 crore toilets; ODF declared October 2, 2019. Phase 2 (2020-25): ODF Plus — solid/liquid waste management, biodegradable processing, faecal sludge management. GOBARDHAN builds bio-CNG from cattle dung. SSC asks Ujjwala count and SBM ODF date.
Education, Skill Development & Social Welfare
NEP 2020: Replaced 1986 policy. Key: 5+3+3+4 structure (replacing 10+2), mother tongue instruction till Grade 5, multidisciplinary education, Academic Bank of Credits, NRF (Rs 50,000 crore for research). GER target: 27% to 50% by 2035. PM SHRI Schools: 14,500 model NEP schools. Budget: Rs 27,360 crore. Samagra Shiksha: Integrated school education (merged SSA, RMSA, Teacher Education). Budget: Rs 22,000 crore (FY25). PMKVY: Short-term skill certification managed by NSDC. 1.37 crore trained. PMKVY 4.0 (2023) aligns with industry and adds international skilling. Social insurance trio: PMJJBY — Rs 2 lakh life cover at Rs 436/year (18-50 age, 16.4 crore subscribers). PMSBY — Rs 2 lakh accidental death/disability at Rs 20/year (35 crore subscribers). APY — guaranteed Rs 1,000-5,000 monthly pension after 60 for unorganised workers (18-40 years, 5.5 crore subscribers). Government co-contributed 50% for pre-December 2015 joiners. Banking exams test PMJJBY/PMSBY premiums and coverage. SSC asks NEP structure (5+3+3+4).
Agriculture & Farmer Welfare Schemes
PM-KISAN (2019): Rs 6,000/year income support to all farmer families in three Rs 2,000 instalments via DBT. 11.8 crore farmers covered. Rs 3.24 lakh crore cumulative. Exclusions: income tax payees, constitutional post holders, government employees, pensioners above Rs 10,000/month. PMFBY (2016): Crop insurance at 2% premium (kharif), 1.5% (rabi), 5% (commercial/horticultural). Centre and State split the gap. Uses satellite, drone, and weather data. 4 crore farmers (FY24). Claims paid: Rs 1.55 lakh crore vs Rs 29,000 crore farmer premiums. Voluntary since 2020. PMKSY: "Har Khet Ko Paani" expands irrigation. "Per Drop More Crop" promotes micro-irrigation — 67 lakh hectares. 99 priority projects under AIBP. Soil Health Card: 22 crore samples tested with nutrient recommendations for balanced fertiliser use. e-NAM (2016): Electronic trading connecting 1,389 mandis across 23 states. Trade: Rs 3.5 lakh crore. KCC: Short-term crop loans at 7% (effective 4% with interest subvention for timely repayment). 7.4 crore active cards, Rs 9 lakh crore credit limit. Extended to fishermen and animal husbandry in 2020. SSC asks PM-KISAN instalment amount. Banking exams test KCC interest mechanics.
Urban Development & Infrastructure Schemes
Smart Cities Mission (2015): 100 cities selected. Area-Based Development (300-500 hectare zones) plus Pan-City IT solutions (traffic, waste, water). Investment: Rs 2 lakh crore+. All 100 ICCCs operational — proved critical during COVID. AMRUT 2.0 (2021): Water, sewerage, transport, green spaces for all 4,700+ ULBs. Targets: 2.68 crore water taps, 2.64 crore sewer connections. Investment: Rs 2.87 lakh crore. PMAY-Urban: 4 verticals — in-situ slum redevelopment, CLSS (interest subsidy: 2.5% EWS/LIG up to Rs 6 lakh, 1.5% MIG-I up to Rs 9 lakh, 1% MIG-II up to Rs 12 lakh), Affordable Housing in Partnership, Beneficiary-Led Construction. 1.19 crore sanctioned, 1.05 crore completed. Bharatmala: 83,677 km highway development. Phase 1: 34,800 km at Rs 5.35 lakh crore — economic corridors, inter-corridors, NER connectivity. PM Gati Shakti (2021): GIS-based multimodal platform integrating 16 ministries for synchronised infrastructure planning. Sagarmala: Port-led development (Rs 8 lakh crore — modernisation Rs 1 lakh crore, connectivity Rs 2 lakh crore, industrialisation Rs 3 lakh crore, coastal communities Rs 2 lakh crore). Dedicated Freight Corridors: Eastern (1,337 km) and Western (1,504 km) will cut freight transit 50% and logistics cost 30%. SSC asks Smart Cities count and PMAY verticals.
Technology, Digital & Entrepreneurship Schemes
Digital India (2015): Three pillars — digital infrastructure (BharatNet fibre to 6.89 lakh GPs, Rs 61,109 crore), digital services (DigiLocker 31 crore users, UMANG 1,700+ services), digital literacy (PMGDISHA). Start-Up India (2016): Self-certification for 9 labour and 3 environmental laws. 3-year tax holiday under Section 80-IAC. Fund of Funds via SIDBI: Rs 10,000 crore corpus. Angel tax fully abolished in Budget 2024-25. Patent fast-track with 80% fee rebate. India: 1.4+ lakh recognised startups, 110+ unicorns, 3rd largest ecosystem. AIM (Atal Innovation Mission): 10,000+ ATLs in schools, 68 AICs, ACICs in underserved areas. GeM (2016): Government e-procurement. 75 lakh products from 67 lakh sellers. Rs 4+ lakh crore cumulative. 57% orders from MSMEs. UPI: NPCI-operated. 14+ billion monthly transactions (2024), $250+ billion monthly value. Zero MDR for small merchants. India Stack (UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, Account Aggregator) is being exported as Digital Public Infrastructure — Singapore PayNow-UPI, India-UAE UPI link. Exams ask Start-Up India tax benefits and UPI milestones.
Tribal, SC/ST & Marginalised Community Schemes
PM JANMAN (2023): For 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. 11 interventions: safe housing, clean water, healthcare (mobile medical units), nutrition, education (Eklavya schools), connectivity, livelihoods, Aadhaar saturation, PM-JAY, PM-KISAN linkage. Budget: Rs 24,104 crore covering 22,544 villages in 18 states. EMRS (Eklavya Model Residential Schools): Quality residential schools in ST-majority areas. 740 sanctioned (689 blocks with 50%+ ST population). 480-student capacity. Budget: Rs 38,800 crore. Post Matric Scholarship for SC: Rs 35,534 crore (2020-26). 4 crore students annually. PM-DAKSH: Skill development for SC, OBC, EBC, DNTs, Safai Karamcharis in NSQF courses. SMILE (2022): Comprehensive rehabilitation for transgender persons and beggars — shelter, skills, education. VBSY (2023-24): IEC vans visiting every gram panchayat for scheme saturation. 23.4 crore beneficiaries enrolled. SSC asks PVTG count (75) and EMRS school capacity.
Defence & Security Schemes
Agnipath (2022): 4-year armed forces recruitment. Agniveers serve 6 months training + 3.5 years. 25% retained permanently. Age: 17.5-21. Compensation: Rs 4.76 lakh/month by year 4. Seva Nidhi: Rs 11.71 lakh tax-free lump sum on exit (30% monthly contribution + government match + interest). Non-retained Agniveers receive skill certificates and CAPF preference. Rationale: young, fit force and reduced pension burden (pensions consume 25%+ of defence budget). Controversy: critics cite insufficient training, post-4-year uncertainty, and loss of experienced personnel. Vibrant Villages (2023): Border village development (India-China border — Arunachal, Uttarakhand, HP, Sikkim, Ladakh). Prevents depopulation creating security gaps. Infrastructure: roads, housing, telecom, renewables, tourism. Budget: Rs 4,800 crore. BRO strategic assets: Atal Tunnel (Rohtang), Sela Tunnel (Arunachal), Zojila Tunnel (J&K). iDEX: 400+ startups engaged through Defence India Startup Challenge (11 editions). Budget: Rs 500 crore. Positive Indigenisation List: 411 items barred from import. 75% of defence acquisition budget earmarked for domestic procurement. SSC asks Agnipath tenure (4 years) and Seva Nidhi amount.
Green India & Sustainability Schemes
National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023): Target 5 MMTPA green hydrogen by 2030. Outlay: Rs 19,744 crore. SIGHT incentivises electrolyser manufacturing ($18,000/tonne) and hydrogen production ($600/tonne). India leverages 300+ sunshine days to become a global hub. PM Kusum: Solar for agriculture — 10 GW plants on fallow land (A), 20 lakh standalone solar pumps (B), 15 lakh grid-connected solar pumps (C). Total: 34 GW. Budget: Rs 34,422 crore. National Natural Farming Mission: Chemical-free farming for 1 crore farmers. Rs 2,481 crore. 15,000 bio-input centres. Based on Subhash Palekar's Zero Budget model. FAME II (2019-24): Rs 10,000 crore for EVs and charging. PM E-DRIVE (2024, successor): Rs 10,900 crore for electric 2/3-wheelers, ambulances, trucks, buses. 22,045 charging stations. Namami Gange (2014): Rs 20,000 crore for Ganga rejuvenation. 172 STPs (6,508 MLD capacity). 468 ghats modernised. Dissolved oxygen improved 36%. Mission LIFE: Promotes sustainable lifestyles — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Exams ask Green Hydrogen target (5 MMTPA) and PM Kusum solar capacity.
Relevant Exams
Government schemes are tested in every competitive exam. Banking exams extensively ask about Jan Dhan, Mudra Yojana details (Shishu/Kishore/Tarun), and PM-JAY coverage. SSC exams test scheme launch years, beneficiaries, and financial details. UPSC tests the broader policy rationale, implementation challenges, and convergence of schemes.