RAS question
Till what date has the lending period for PM SVANidhi been extended?
Correct answer: (A) March 31, 2030.
The lending period for the PM SVANidhi scheme has been extended until March 31, 2030.
Explanation
PM SVANidhi is the Prime Minister Street Vendor's Atma Nirbhar Nidhi scheme, launched in June 2020 to help street vendors overcome financial constraints and restart their livelihoods. The cited PIB release says the Union Cabinet approved the restructuring and extension of the scheme's lending period beyond December 31, 2024. Under that restructuring, the lending period has now been extended until March 31, 2030. That is why March 31, 2030 is the operative date: it is not merely a future target, but the officially announced end date of the extended lending window for the restructured PM SVANidhi scheme.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) March 31, 2028 is wrong because the PIB release specifies the extended lending period as March 31, 2030, not 2028.
- (C) March 31, 2026 is wrong because it falls short of the officially stated extension date of March 31, 2030.
- (D) March 31, 2032 is wrong because the cited PIB release does not extend the lending period beyond March 31, 2030.
Concept
This tests current government schemes in the Indian Economy syllabus, especially welfare-linked credit support for the informal urban sector. Such dates recur in RAS because scheme extensions and restructuring decisions often become direct factual questions.