RAS question
The 'Jan Aadhaar' scheme in Rajasthan replaced which earlier scheme?
Correct answer: (D) Bhamashah Yojana.
Rajasthan's Jan Aadhaar scheme replaced the earlier Bhamashah Yojana.
Explanation
Jan Aadhaar was launched on 18 December 2019 as Rajasthan's replacement for Bhamashah Yojana. Its purpose, as reflected in the official Rajasthan Jan Aadhaar Authority Rules, is to operate through Jan Aadhaar IDs for families and members, using identity information, entitlement records and seeding in government scheme databases. That matters because the scheme is not merely a card: it is the State's unified identity layer for delivering public welfare benefits and services, including DBT. The official rules also repeal the Rajasthan Bhamashah (Direct Transfer of Public Welfare Benefits and Delivery of Services) Rules, 2018, which confirms why Bhamashah Yojana is the scheme being replaced.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Aadhaar Card is a central government UIDAI identity scheme, while Jan Aadhaar is Rajasthan's welfare-delivery identity layer rather than a replacement for national Aadhaar.
- (B) The Ration Card scheme continues independently, so Jan Aadhaar should be understood as a unified identity and benefit-delivery system, not as a ration-card substitute.
- (C) Voter ID is managed by the Election Commission for electoral identity, whereas Jan Aadhaar is tied to public welfare benefits and service delivery in Rajasthan.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan welfare-governance architecture, especially how state identity platforms support DBT and scheme delivery. RAS asks this because the shift from Bhamashah to Jan Aadhaar is a recurring administrative reform marker.