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RAS question

Which of the following statements about the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme is/are correct? 1. It was launched on October 21, 2016 under the National Civil Aviation Policy. 2. As of 2025, it has operationalised over 649 routes connecting 93 airports. 3. Viability Gap Funding under UDAN is provided solely by the State Governments. Select the correct answer using the codes below:

Correct answer: (A) 1 and 2 only.

UDAN was launched on 21 October 2016 under the National Civil Aviation Policy and, by 2025, had operationalised 649 routes connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports; its Viability Gap Funding is not provided solely by State Governments.

  1. (A)

    1 and 2 only

  2. (B)

    2 and 3 only

  3. (C)

    1 and 3 only

  4. (D)

    1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Statements 1 and 2 are correct because PIB's 2025 UDAN anniversary release says the scheme was launched on 21 October 2016 under the National Civil Aviation Policy, and that 649 routes had been operationalised connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports. The scheme's logic is regional connectivity: making air travel affordable and accessible where normal commercial routes may not work on their own. Statement 3 fails on the funding mechanism. VGF is provided by the Central Government, sometimes with contributions from State Governments and airport operators; PIB also records Government disbursement of VGF under RCS. That is the opposite of saying State Governments alone fund it.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (B) It includes statement 3, but VGF under UDAN is not funded solely by State Governments; it has Central Government support, with possible state and airport-operator contributions.
  • (C) It accepts the launch-date statement but wrongly includes statement 3 while leaving out the PIB-supported 2025 figure of 649 operationalised routes connecting 93 airports.
  • (D) It treats all three statements as correct, although statement 3 misstates the VGF arrangement by making it solely a State Government responsibility.

Concept

This tests government schemes in infrastructure and regional connectivity, especially launch context, implementation numbers and funding design. RAS often asks such statement-combination questions because schemes are dynamic and small wording changes, such as 'solely', decide the answer.

Source

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