Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the SARTHAK-PDS umbrella scheme approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 26 May 2026: 1. The scheme has a central outlay of Rs 25,530 crore for implementation over five years from April 2026 to March 2031. 2. It merges two existing schemes - the intra-State foodgrain movement assistance scheme and SMART PDS. 3. The scheme will leverage Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Blockchain technologies. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
All three statements are correct. SARTHAK-PDS (Scheme for Assistance in Ration Transport and Handling-Income with Automation in PDS) approved by CCEA on 26 May 2026: (1) Has Rs 25,530 crore central outlay over April 2026-March 2031; (2) Merges the intra-State foodgrain movement scheme and SMART PDS into one umbrella; (3) Uses AI, ML, NLP and Blockchain to modernise PDS operations for 81.35 crore NFSA beneficiaries.