RAS question
When was the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana launched?
Correct answer: (C) August 28, 2014.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana was launched on August 28, 2014, as a National Mission for Financial Inclusion.
Explanation
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, or PMJDY, was launched on August 28, 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a National Mission for Financial Inclusion. The official PMJDY page supports this date by stating that the scheme was launched on 28 August 2014 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The question tests the exact launch date, not the announcement date: Independence Day 2014 is linked on the same official page as the announcement of PMJDY, while the launch happened later, on August 28. That distinction is why option C is the precise answer.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) January 26, 2014 is not supported by the PMJDY explanation or the official PMJDY page as either the announcement or launch date.
- (B) August 15, 2014 refers to Independence Day 2014, which the official PMJDY page treats as the announcement context, not the launch date.
- (D) October 2, 2014 falls after the official launch date of August 28, 2014 and is not cited as the PMJDY launch date.
Concept
This tests government schemes under current affairs, especially the ability to separate an announcement date from a formal launch date. RAS repeatedly asks such date-based scheme facts because they connect policy chronology with flagship Union programmes.