Aspirant Academy

Economy

Predicted Questions with Model Answers

Welfare Schemes: SC/ST, Backward Classes, Minorities, Disabled, Women, Children, Elderly

Paper I · Unit 2 Section 16 of 17 0 PYQs 50 min
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Predicted Questions with Model Answers

Q1 (5 marks — 50 words)

What is the Palanhar Yojana? What categories of children does it benefit and what are the amounts provided?

Model Answer (EN): 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.

Q2 (5 marks — 50 words)

Compare the Lado Protsahan Yojana and Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana for girl child welfare in Rajasthan.

Model Answer (EN): Rajshri Yojana: ₹50,000 in 6 instalments from birth to Class 12 completion; universal for all girls born in government hospitals; targets female foeticide and dropout. Lado Protsahan Yojana (launched 1 August 2024): ₹1,50,000 in 7 instalments from birth to graduation; targets EWS families specifically; includes ₹70,000 at age 21 as graduation incentive. Both are DBT-linked via Jan Aadhaar.

Q3 (5 marks — 50 words)

What is the Anuprati Coaching Scheme? Who is eligible and how many seats are available?

Model Answer (EN): Anuprati Coaching Scheme provides free coaching to SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and minority students for competitive exams (UPSC, RPSC, REET, technical entrance). Total 30,000 seats are allocated annually. Students are shortlisted on merit-cum-family-income basis. Empanelled private coaching institutes receive government reimbursement. Stipend + accommodation provided to outstation students. It bridges the coaching affordability gap for underprivileged aspirants.

Q4 (5 marks — 50 words)

What are the pension provisions for elderly citizens in Rajasthan under IGNOAPS and Mukhyamantri Vriddhjan Samman Pension Yojana?

Model Answer (EN): IGNOAPS (Central): ₹200/month for BPL elderly aged 60–79 years; ₹500/month for 80+ years. Rajasthan supplements with Mukhyamantri Vriddhjan Samman Pension Yojana providing ₹1,000/month to all elderly aged 75+ (not income-restricted). Ayushman Vay Vandana (October 2024) adds universal ₹5 lakh health cover for all 70+ seniors — by December 2025, 96.73 lakh cards issued in India.

Q5 (10 marks — 150 words)

Evaluate the welfare schemes for SC/ST communities in Rajasthan. What are the key challenges in achieving equitable development for these groups?

Model Answer (EN): Rajasthan has SC population of 17.8% (above national 16.6%) and ST population of 13.5% (above national 8.6%) — both disproportionately represented among the poor. The welfare architecture for SC/ST communities spans constitutional protections, educational scholarships, reservation, livelihood, and tribal self-governance:

Key Schemes: (1) Anuprati Coaching — 30,000 free coaching seats for competitive exams; (2) Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST students ensuring educational continuity; (3) Stand Up India (revamped 2025) — ₹2 crore SC/ST/Women greenfield enterprise loans; (4) Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (TRIFED) — tribal NTFP value-addition clusters in Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh; (5) Palanhar Yojana — SC/SCs' destitute children form majority of beneficiaries; (6) PVTG-specific food security (Saharia, Khairwa, Kathodi tribes).

Constitutional safeguards: 5th and 6th Schedules; PESA Act 1996; Forest Rights Act 2006 (community forest rights); SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 (amended 2018).

Key challenges: (1) Land alienation in tribal areas continues despite FRA 2006; (2) High SC/ST dropout rates in higher education; (3) Under-representation in formal employment despite reservation; (4) Atrocities still high in Rajasthan; (5) Geographical isolation of tribal districts (Dungarpur, Banswara, Udaipur, Baran) — terrain, poor connectivity; (6) Benefit leakage and identification errors in welfare schemes.

The RPWD Act audit (2024-25) also reveals poor job reservation compliance for PwD, showing systemic implementation gaps.

Q6 (10 marks — 150 words)

Discuss the women-focused welfare schemes in Rajasthan, assessing their design and impact on gender equality outcomes.

Model Answer (EN): Rajasthan has built a multi-tiered women welfare ecosystem covering life-cycle support from birth to old age:

Birth-to-graduation incentives: (1) Mukhyamantri Rajshri Yojana — ₹50,000 in 6 instalments (birth to Class 12); combats female foeticide and dropout; (2) Lado Protsahan Yojana (August 2024) — ₹1,50,000 in 7 instalments (birth to graduation); targets EWS families; ₹70,000 at age 21 graduation milestone.

Economic empowerment: (3) Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojana — marriage assistance for BPL/SC/ST girls; (4) SHG ecosystem through RGAVP — women's self-help groups across rural Rajasthan; (5) Anuprati Coaching — girl students form 50%+ of beneficiaries in practice; (6) MGNREGS — 55%+ of beneficiaries in Rajasthan are women.

Health protection: (7) MAAY scheme — female head mandatory in Jan Aadhaar for health insurance; (8) PM Matru Vandana Yojana for maternal nutrition.

Impact evidence: Sex ratio at birth improved; school enrolment parity improving; KGBV residential schools retain girls from rural/tribal areas; RBSE girls outperforming boys in Class 12 (Science 97.52%, Arts 97.54%).

Challenges: Rajasthan has among India's widest gender literacy gaps (27.1 pts); high FLFPR remains low (~30%); domestic violence persistence; child marriage still above national average in some districts; caste-intersection (Dalit women face compounded disadvantages). Jan Aadhaar's female-head model has been transformative, but digital exclusion still prevents women from directly accessing DBT in many households.