The Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiative was launched in:
Correct answer: (B) 2020.
The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan was launched on 12 May 2020, when the Prime Minister gave the call for a self-reliant India during the COVID-19 crisis.
Explanation
Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan belongs to 2020, not to a later or earlier scheme cycle. The PIB release from 12 May 2020 records that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a special economic package and gave the call for Atmanirbhar Bharat during the COVID-19 crisis. The package was described as Rs 20 lakh crore, equivalent to almost 10% of India's GDP, including earlier government announcements and RBI decisions. The same release links the initiative to five pillars: Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography and Demand. That combination of date, crisis context, package size and five-pillar framework fixes the answer as 2020.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 2021 is too late because the official PIB release records the Atmanirbhar Bharat call and the special economic package on 12 May 2020.
- (C) 2019 is too early because the initiative in the given explanation and the PIB release is tied to the COVID-19 crisis and the 12 May 2020 announcement.
- (D) 2018 is too early because the five-pillar Atmanirbhar Bharat framework and Rs 20 lakh crore package were announced in May 2020, not before.
Concept
This tests Indian Economy current affairs, especially major Union government economic initiatives and crisis-response packages. RAS often asks such items because the launch year, context, package scale and pillars help distinguish similar policy announcements.