Key facts

  • SC/ST Population — Above National Average — SC population in Rajasthan: 17.8% (Census 2011) vs. 16.6% nationally
  • Palanhar Yojana — Rajasthan's flagship child welfare scheme for orphans and destitute children
  • Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana — ₹50,000 total to each girl child in 6 instalments — Coverage: birth to Class 12 completion
  • Lado Protsahan Yojana — Launched 1 August 2024 (Bhajanlal Sharma government) — ₹1,50,000 in 7 instalments from birth to graduation (₹70,000 at age 21)
  • IGNOAPS and Rajasthan Supplement — Central scheme: ₹200/month (BPL, age 60–79); ₹500/month (BPL, age 80+)

Key Points at a Glance

  1. 1

    SC/ST Population — Above National Average

    • SC population in Rajasthan: 17.8% (Census 2011) vs. 16.6% nationally
    • ST population: 13.5% vs. 8.6% nationally
    • Both are above national averages, making welfare delivery critical
  2. 2

    Palanhar Yojana

    • Rajasthan's flagship child welfare scheme for orphans and destitute children
    • ₹1,500/month per child (0–5 years); ₹2,500/month (6–18 years) for orphans
    • Other eligible categories: ₹750/month (0–6 years) and ₹1,500/month (6–18 years)
    • Provides family-based foster care rather than institutional homes
  3. 3

    Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana

    • ₹50,000 total to each girl child in 6 instalments
    • Coverage: birth to Class 12 completion
    • Objectives: combat female foeticide and reduce school dropout
  4. 4

    Lado Protsahan Yojana

    • Launched 1 August 2024 (Bhajanlal Sharma government)
    • ₹1,50,000 in 7 instalments from birth to graduation (₹70,000 at age 21)
    • Eligible: girls from EWS families born in government/approved hospitals
    • Administered via PCTS portal; ₹7.50 crore disbursed to 30,000 girls by March 2025
  5. 5

    IGNOAPS and Rajasthan Supplement

    • Central scheme: ₹200/month (BPL, age 60–79); ₹500/month (BPL, age 80+)
    • Rajasthan adds Mukhyamantri Vriddhjan Samman Pension Yojana: ₹1,000/month for 75+
    • Combined pension for 80+ BPL elderly: ₹1,500/month
  6. 6

    RPWD Act 2016

    • Recognises 21 categories of disability (up from 7 under the 1995 Act)
    • 4% horizontal reservation in government jobs; 5% in higher education
    • UDID card (Unique Disability ID) centralises disability certification nationally
  7. 7

    Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006

    • Recognises individual forest rights up to 4 hectares per tribal family
    • Also grants community forest rights (NTFP, water, grazing)
    • Rajasthan distributed titles to tribal families; Gram Sabha resolution mandatory
  8. 8

    Mukhyamantri Anuprati Coaching Yojana

    • 30,000 free coaching seats annually (12,000 for JEE/NEET)
    • Eligible: SC, ST, OBC, MBC, EWS, minority, and specially-abled students
    • Financial assistance: ₹40,000–₹70,000; family income below ₹8 lakh
  9. 9

    PM-VIKAS

    • PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman — 25 trade categories for traditional artisans
    • 5% interest credit: ₹1 lakh (first tranche) + ₹2 lakh (second tranche)
    • Toolkit grant ₹15,000; targets OBC/SC/ST artisans; ~30 lakh registered (Sept 2025)
  10. 10

    Jan Aadhaar

    • Rajasthan's unique family-level identity system
    • Links 7.67 crore members to DBT delivery of 600+ schemes
    • Eliminates duplicate, ghost beneficiaries and leakage
  11. 11

    Kalibai Bhil Medhavi Chhatra Scooty Yojana

    • ~10,500 free scooties distributed per year to meritorious girl students
    • Eligible: SC, ST, OBC, Minority, EBC, and Nomadic tribes
    • Minimum 65% marks (Rajasthan Board) or 75% (CBSE); family income < ₹2.5 lakh
  12. 12

    ICDS and KGBV — Child Welfare Scale

    • ICDS: 62,020 Anganwadi centres covering 16.18 lakh children (3–6 years)
    • KGBV: 342 residential schools with 43,543 girl students (SC/ST/OBC/Minority)
  13. 13

    Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Udyam Protsahan Yojana

    • Loans up to ₹50 lakh for individual women entrepreneurs
    • Up to ₹1 crore for SHG clusters/federations (enhanced in Budget 2026-27)
    • Subsidy: 25% of loan amount; 30% for SC/ST/OBC/Divyang women; extended to FY 2028-29
  14. 14

    Revamped Stand Up India (September 2025)

    • Loan limit doubled to ₹2 crore (from ₹1 crore) for SC/ST/Women entrepreneurs
    • Targets greenfield enterprises; online skill-building component added
    • ₹62,807 crore sanctioned since 2016; Rajasthan disbursed ₹587.16 crore to 2,675 beneficiaries
  15. 15

    SDG Progress — Rajasthan

    • SDG Goal 5 (Gender Equality): score improved from 39 (2020-21) to 52 (2023-24) — +13 points
    • SDG Goal 1 (No Poverty): improved 19 points to 82 — state's highest SDG improvement

Introduction and Syllabus Scope

Topic #39 is exam-critical because RPSC repeatedly tests how constitutional safeguards, social-justice schemes and Rajasthan's demographic realities meet in actual welfare delivery. According to Census 2011, Rajasthan's total population was 68,548,437, which is why even small percentage differences in welfare target groups translate into large beneficiary populations.

Why This Topic is Critical

Topic #39 is the most exam-critical economics topic in the RPSC 2026 Mains syllabus — PYQ Tier 1, appearing in all five recent examinations (2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023/2024), averaging 7.4 marks per exam. The RPSC examiner consistently tests this topic because it sits at the intersection of constitutional law, socio-economic policy, and Rajasthan's specific demographic realities.

The relevant constitutional articles span Articles 15, 16, 17, 46, 275, 330, 332, 338, 338A, 338B, 339, 340, 341, and 342. In an answer, these Articles should not be listed mechanically; they should be linked to the scheme family being discussed. Articles 15(4), 15(5) and 16(4) support affirmative action, Article 46 supplies the Directive Principle logic, Articles 338 and 338A create monitoring bodies, and Articles 341 and 342 define the legal basis for SC and ST lists.

Rajasthan's Demographic Stakes

The scope is explicitly Rajasthan-centric. With SC at 17.8% and ST at 13.5% of the population (both above national averages), Rajasthan has larger stakes in welfare scheme delivery than most states. These shares matter for scholarship demand, hostels, coaching support, tribal sub-plan allocation, SC/ST atrocity-prevention machinery, and the geography of welfare spending.

The RPSC examiner focuses on:

  • Central schemes Rajasthan implements — ICDS, PM POSHAN, IGNOAPS, PM Vishwakarma, FRA 2006 and NSAP-linked pensions
  • Rajasthan flagship schemes — Palanhar Yojana, Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana, Lado Protsahan Yojana, Anuprati Coaching, Mukhya Mantri Old Age Samman Pension and Jan Aadhaar
  • Constitutional provisions — Articles 15(4), 15(5), 16(4), 46, 275, 338-340, 341 and 342
  • Legal frameworks — SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, Forest Rights Act 2006, Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, POCSO Act 2012, Juvenile Justice Act 2015 and the Senior Citizens Act 2007

What Falls Outside This Topic

  • Caste history and social reform movements, except where a welfare answer needs a one-line historical context; see Topic #8 for tribes.
  • General health insurance schemes such as Chiranjeevi/MAAY in their health-sector context; see Topic #38.
  • Macro-level poverty data and MPI, except as a short analytical bridge; those belong mainly under Topic #31.
  • Pure political representation questions unless the answer is about reserved constituencies, commissions, or safeguards.

Question Types to Prepare

RPSC tests both factual recall (scheme names, amounts, launch years, beneficiary numbers) and analytical questions (evaluate Palanhar vs. institutional care; discuss how Jan Aadhaar improved DBT delivery). Prepare both types. A strong answer usually has four layers: constitutional basis, target group, named scheme with amount or coverage, and a one-line assessment of delivery or limitation.

PREDICTED Predicted RAS Questions

Based on PYQ trends and 2026 syllabus analysis

1 5M What is the Palanhar Yojana? What categories of children does it benefit and what are the amounts provided? 5 marks · 50 words

Model Answer

Palanhar Yojana is Rajasthan's flagship family-based child welfare scheme for orphaned and destitute children, providing monthly support through designated family caregivers instead of institutional homes. Orphans (both parents deceased) receive ₹1,500/month (0–5 years) and ₹2,500/month (6–18 years); other eligible categories — children of imprisoned parents, HIV-affected parents, disabled parents, abandoned women, etc. — receive ₹750/month (0–6 years) and ₹1,500/month (6–18 years). Approximately 9 categories are eligible in total.

~50 words • 5 marks