Government schemes are backbone of UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) forming a significant part of Prelims & Mains. Understanding these schemes not only helps in General Studies but also strengthens your answers in Ethics, Essay & Interview stages. Here's how:

1. Prelims:

• Direct Questions:UPSC frequently asks factual questions about newly launched schemes, their objectives, nodal ministries, target beneficiaries & key features.
• Example:Questions on schemes like PM-KISAN, Ayushman Bharat or UDAN have appeared in recent years.
• Focus on schemes from Economic Survey, Union Budget & current affairs from the past 1-2 years is a must.

2. Mains:

• GS Paper II (Governance, Social Justice):Questions directly ask for the impact & effectiveness of schemes in sectors like health, education, agriculture, women empowerment.
• GS Paper III (Economy, Environment):Schemes related to sustainable development, climate change, MSMEs, infrastructure are key.
• Answer Enrichment:Citing relevant schemes adds credibility to your answers. Example: While discussing rural development mentioning MGNREGA with data makes your answer more robust.

3. Essay Paper:

• Balanced Arguments:Schemes help in presenting real-world examples. If writing on topics like “Inclusive Growth” or “Role of Technology in Governance” referencing schemes like Digital India or Aspirational Districts Programme provides depth.

4. Ethics Paper:

• Case Studies:Schemes promoting transparency (e.g. RTI, DBT) or ethical governance can be used to justify solutions in case studies.
• Values in Action:Linking schemes with values like social justice, accountability & empathy strengthens ethical arguments.

5. Interview Stage:

• Practical Knowledge:Questions often revolve around current government initiatives especially those related to your optional subject, home state or work background.
• Opinion-Based Questions:Knowing schemes helps articulate informed opinions. For example discussing the impact of Ayushman Bharat on healthcare accessibility.

Thus, Government Schemes are Important for UPSC IAS because:

1. Relevance Across Syllabus: Government schemes are integral to subjects like Economy, Polity, Social Justice, Environment & Governance.
2. Current Affairs Connection: Schemes often feature in news making them crucial for dynamic current affairs preparation.
3. Answer Enrichment: Quoting schemes in Mains answers adds value & showcases your awareness of government initiatives.
4. Interview Edge: Demonstrating a clear understanding of schemes can impress interviewers especially when discussing developmental policies.

How to Read Government Schemes Effectively

• Official Sources:Rely on authentic sources like PIB, Yojana, Kurukshetra & government portals.
• Scheme Framework:Focus on key elements: launch year, ministry, objectives, target beneficiaries, key features & recent updates.

How to Study Government Schemes for UPSC

1. Categorization: Group schemes under relevant GS papers (e.g. health schemes under GS II, economic schemes under GS III).
2. Mind Maps & Charts: Use visual aids to connect schemes with broader topics.
3. Regular Revision: Revise periodically to retain facts & figures.
4. Mock Tests: Practice MCQs & answer writing focusing on scheme-based questions.

Important Government Schemes Launched in the Union Budget 2025-26

1. Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana

• Objective:Enhance agricultural productivity & sustainability.
• Key Features:
  • • Focus on climate resilient crops, precision farming as well as agritech.
    • Special credit schemes for small farmers.
• Budget:₹20000 crore.
• Impact:
  • • Boosts income of farmers through diversified cropping.
    • Promotes environmentally sustainable agriculture.
• Challenges:
  • • Adoption barriers for new technologies.
    • Inadequate rural infrastructure for logistics.
• UPSC Relevance:GS3 (Agriculture, Economy), Prelims.

2. Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme

• Objective:Build climate-resilient rural communities.
• Key Features:
  • • Focus on renewable energy, water conservation & climate smart agriculture.
    • Community led development model.
• Budget:₹10,000 crore under Ministry of Rural Development.
• Impact:
  • • Strengthens rural economies against climate shocks.
    • Reduces migration by creating local employment.
• Challenges:
  • • Low awareness of climate risks in rural areas.
    • Fragmented governance at local levels.
• UPSC Relevance:GS3 (Environment, Rural Development).

3. Aatmanirbharta in Pulses Programme

• Objective:Achieve self-sufficiency in pulses production.
• Key Features:
  • • Price support mechanisms, R&D for high-yield varieties.
    • Focus on intercropping & water-efficient practices.
• Budget:₹9,000 crore over 5 years.
• Impact:
  • • Reduces import dependency, stabilizes market prices.
    • Improves protein security in India.
• Challenges:
  • • Price volatility affecting farmer income stability.
    • Dependence on monsoon.
• UPSC Relevance:GS3 (Agriculture, Food Security).

4. Scheme for First time Entrepreneurs (SAFE)

• Objective:Support first-generation entrepreneurs.
• Key Features:
  • • Seed funding, mentorship, tax benefits.
    • Special focus on women & rural entrepreneurs.
• Budget:₹5,000 crore fund.
• Impact:
  • • Promotes startup culture in Tier 2 & 3 cities.
    • Reduces youth unemployment.
• Challenges:
  • • High failure rate of startups without sustained support.
    • Access to markets remains a hurdle.
• UPSC Relevance:GS3 that is Economy, Entrepreneurship.

5. Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0

• Objective:Improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
• Key Features:
  • • Smart Anganwadi centers with digital monitoring.
    • Focus on malnutrition hotspots.
• Budget:₹20263 crore for 2024-25.
• Impact:
  • • Reduces stunting, wasting & malnutrition rates.
    • Empowers Anganwadi workers with tech tools.
• Challenges:
  • • Infrastructure gaps in remote areas.
    • Need for behavioral change in dietary practices.
• UPSC Relevance:GS2 (Health, Women & Child Development).

6. Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme

• Objective:Promote Indian languages under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• Key Features:
  • • Grants for publishing textbooks in 22 scheduled languages.
    • Translation of global academic content into regional languages.
• Budget:₹1,200 crore.
• Impact:
  • • Preserves linguistic diversity as well as improves regional access to quality education.
    • Strengthens cultural identity.
• Challenges:
  • • Shortage of qualified translators.
    • Resistance from English-dominated academic institutions.
• UPSC Relevance:GS1 (Culture), GS2 (Education).

7. Social Security Scheme for Welfare of Online Platform Workers

• Objective:Provide social protection to gig and platform economy workers.
• Key Features:
  • • Health insurance, retirement benefits, accident coverage.
    • Mandatory contributions from aggregators like Zomato, Ola, Uber.
• Budget:₹8,500 crore.
• Impact:
  • • Reduces precarity among gig workers.
    • Formalizes parts of the informal economy.
• Challenges:
  • • Enforcement issues with private platforms.
    • High administrative costs.
• UPSC Relevance:GS2 (Social Justice), GS3 (Labour Reforms).

8. SWAMIH Fund 2

• Objective:Provide last-mile funding for stalled real estate projects.
• Key Features:
  • • Focus on affordable & mid-income housing projects.
    • Addresses liquidity crunch in the real estate sector.
• Budget:₹25,000 crore (additional corpus).
• Impact:
  • • Revives the real estate sector, generates jobs.
    • Protects homebuyers’ interests.
• Challenges:
  • • Risk of non-performing assets (NPAs).
    • Delays in project approvals.
• UPSC Relevance:GS3 (Infrastructure, Economy).

9. Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS 2.0)

• Objective:Strengthen startup ecosystem.
• Features:
  • • Government acts as an anchor investor in VC funds.
    • Special focus on deep tech as well as green startups.
• Budget:₹10000 crore.
• Impact:
  • • Increases venture capital availability.
    • Encourages innovation driven enterprises.
• Challenges:
  • • Risk of market saturation in certain sectors.
    • Monitoring fund utilization.
• UPSC Relevance:GS3 (Economy, Innovation).

10. Employment-Led Growth in Tourism Programme

• Objective:Harness tourism for large-scale employment generation.
• Key Features:
  • • Development of 50 iconic tourist destinations.
    • Skill development programs for hospitality workers.
• Budget:₹15,000 crore.
• Impact:
  • • Boosts GDP contribution from tourism.
    • Generates jobs, especially for women and youth.
• Challenges:
  • • Seasonality of tourism-dependent jobs.
    • Over-tourism causing environmental degradation.
• UPSC Relevance:GS1 (Culture), GS3 (Economy, Tourism).

Summary of Important Schemes for UPSC

Scheme Name	Launch Date	Department	Key Features	Budget	Beneficiaries	Completion Date
PM Awas Yojana	2015	Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs	Affordable housing for all by 2022	₹6.85 lakh crore	Urban and rural poor	2022
Model Skill Loan Scheme	2015	Ministry of Skill Development	Provides loans for skill development courses	N/A	Students pursuing skill development	Ongoing
Mudra Yojana	2015	Ministry of Finance	Financial support to small businesses	₹3 lakh crore	Small entrepreneurs	Ongoing
PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana)	2000	Ministry of Rural Development	Rural road connectivity	₹1.8 lakh crore	Rural population	Ongoing
Urban 2.0 Initiative	2021	Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs	Urban renewal and smart city development	₹2.05 lakh crore	Urban residents	Ongoing
PM Vishwakarma Scheme	2023	Ministry of MSME	Skill enhancement for traditional artisans	₹13,000 crore	Traditional artisans	Ongoing
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme	2023	Ministry of Railways	Redevelopment of railway stations	₹10,000 crore	Railway passengers	2025
Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)	2022	Ministry of Environment	Promoting sustainable living practices	N/A	General public	Ongoing
National Logistics Policy (NLP)	2022	Ministry of Commerce & Industry	Improve efficiency in logistics sector	N/A	Logistics companies	Ongoing
PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan	2021	Ministry of Commerce & Industry	Integrated infrastructure planning	₹100 lakh crore	Infrastructure sector	2025
PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI)	2022	Ministry of Education	Strengthen schools with modern facilities	₹27,360 crore	Students and educators	2026-27
Rashtriya Udyamita Vikas Pariyojana	2024	Ministry of Skill Development	Entrepreneurship development for youth	N/A	Young entrepreneurs	Ongoing
Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan	2024	Ministry of Tribal Affairs	Development of tribal villages	₹7,000 crore	Tribal communities	2026
Vatsalya Scheme	2024	Ministry of Women & Child Development	Child welfare and protection	N/A	Children in need	Ongoing
Purvodaya	2024	Ministry of Steel	Boosting Eastern India's steel sector	N/A	Steel industry	2030
Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana	2024	Ministry of New & Renewable Energy	Solar energy adoption in households	₹75,000 crore	Residential households	2027
Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme	2024	Ministry of Heavy Industries	Promotion of electric vehicles	₹10,000 crore	EV manufacturers and buyers	2030
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi	2021	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare	Health infrastructure funding	₹64,180 crore	Health institutions	Ongoing
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana	2018	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare	Health insurance for the poor	₹64,180 crore	Low-income families	Ongoing
National Digital Health Mission	2020	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare	Digital health records for all citizens	₹1,600 crore	General public	Ongoing
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna	2006	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare	Establish AIIMS-like institutions across India	₹14,970 crore	Medical students, patients	Ongoing
Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0	2021	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare	Immunization drive for children and pregnant women	N/A	Children and pregnant women	Ongoing
STARS Project	2020	Ministry of Education	Strengthening teaching-learning outcomes	$500 million (World Bank)	School students	2025
Institutions of Eminence Scheme	2018	Ministry of Education	Promote world-class higher education institutions	₹10,000 crore	Universities	Ongoing
Mid-Day Meal	1995	Ministry of Education	Free meals to school children	₹11,000 crore	School students	Ongoing
Swach Vidyalaya Abhiyan	2014	Ministry of Education	Build separate toilets for boys and girls in schools	N/A	School students	Completed 2019
Kala Utsav	2015	Ministry of Education	Promote art and cultural activities in schools	N/A	School students	Ongoing
Shikshav Parv Initiative	2020	Ministry of Education	Discuss and implement NEP 2020	N/A	Educators, students	Ongoing
Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)	2018	Ministry of Education	Promote research collaboration between Indian and foreign institutions	₹418 crore	Researchers	Ongoing
Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)	2017	Ministry of Education	Finance infrastructure projects in higher education	₹1 lakh crore	Educational institutions	Ongoing
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna	2017	Ministry of Women & Child Development	Maternity benefit scheme for pregnant and lactating women	₹12,661 crore	Pregnant women	Ongoing
Poshan Abhiyan	2018	Ministry of Women & Child Development	Improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers	₹9,046 crore	Women and children	Ongoing
Rashtriya Poshan Maah	2018	Ministry of Women & Child Development	Nutrition awareness campaign	N/A	General public	Annual event
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna	2015	Ministry of Skill Development	Skill development and certification	₹12,000 crore	Youth	Ongoing
Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) Scheme	2021	Ministry of Rural Development	Assign unique IDs to land parcels	N/A	Landowners	Ongoing
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)	1995	Ministry of Rural Development	Social pensions for elderly, widows, and disabled persons	₹9,200 crore	Vulnerable groups	Ongoing
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)	2006	Ministry of Rural Development	Guarantee 100 days of wage employment to rural households	₹1.11 lakh crore	Rural workers	Ongoing
Rashtriya Aajivika Mission	2011	Ministry of Rural Development	Promote self-employment and skilled wage employment	₹5,000 crore	Rural poor	Ongoing
Gram Panchayat Development Plans	2015	Ministry of Panchayati Raj	Bottom-up planning at Gram Panchayat level	N/A	Rural population	Ongoing
Startup Village Entrepreneurship Programme	2016	Ministry of Rural Development	Promote entrepreneurship in rural areas	₹700 crore	Rural entrepreneurs	Ongoing
DDU Grameen Kaushalya Yojna	2014	Ministry of Rural Development	Skill training for rural youth	₹1,500 crore	Rural youth	Ongoing
Global Housing Technology Challenge	2019	Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs	Promote innovative construction technologies	N/A	Construction sector	Ongoing
Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge	2020	Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs	Promote mechanized cleaning of sewers	N/A	Sanitation workers	Ongoing
PM SVANIDI	2020	Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs	Micro-credit scheme for street vendors	₹10,000 crore	Street vendors	Ongoing
Climate-Smart City Assessment Framework	2021	Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs	Evaluate climate actions in cities	N/A	Urban residents	Ongoing
Swachh Sarvekshan	2016	Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs	Annual cleanliness survey	N/A	Urban population	Annual event
Rashtriya Swachhta Kendra	2020	Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs	National center for cleanliness awareness	N/A	General public	Ongoing
Grand ICT Challenge	2020	Ministry of Electronics & IT	Promote innovative ICT solutions	N/A	Tech startups	Ongoing
Ambekar Social Innovation & Incubation Mission	2019	Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment	Promote social entrepreneurship	N/A	Social entrepreneurs	Ongoing
Saral Jeevan Bima	2021	IRDAI	Standard term life insurance policy	N/A	Insurance buyers	Ongoing
One District One Product Scheme	2018	Ministry of Commerce & Industry	Promote district-specific products	₹6,000 crore	Local entrepreneurs	Ongoing
PRARAMBH: Startup India International Summit	2021	Ministry of Commerce & Industry	Global platform for startups	N/A	Startups	Annual event
Merchandise Export From India Scheme	2015	Ministry of Commerce & Industry	Incentives for goods exporters	₹40,000 crore	Exporters	Ongoing
SAMARTH Scheme	2017	Ministry of Textiles	Skill development in textile sector	₹1,300 crore	Textile workers	Ongoing
National Technical Textile Mission	2020	Ministry of Textiles	Promote technical textiles	₹1,480 crore	Textile industry	2024
Sagarmala Sea Plane Services	2020	Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways	Enhance coastal and inland water connectivity	N/A	Tourists, travelers	Ongoing
Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna	2018	Ministry of Labour & Employment	Provide financial support to unemployed insured persons	₹6,500 crore	Unemployed persons	Ongoing
Nation Career Service Project	2015	Ministry of Labour & Employment	Employment services and career counseling	₹1,000 crore	Job seekers	Ongoing
Vision 2035	2020	NITI Aayog	Long-term policy vision for India	N/A	Policy makers	2035
NPMPF (‘National Program and Project Management Policy Framework’)	2020	NITI Aayog	Improve project management practices	N/A	Government agencies	Ongoing
Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenge	2020	Atal Innovation Mission	Support startups with innovative solutions	₹500 crore	Startups	Ongoing
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)	2021	Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade	Financial support to early-stage startups	₹945 crore	Startups	2025

PYQs

Q.1. Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’?

1. To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
2. To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women
3. To promote the consumption of millets coarse cereals and unpolished rice
4. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1, 2 and 4 only

d) 3 and 4 only

Answer: a)  

Q.2.With reference to 'National Investment and Infrastructure Fund', which of the following statements is/are correct? 

1. It is an organ of NITI Aayog.
2. It has a corpus of Rs. 4, 00,000 crore at present.
   

Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 

Answer. d) 

Q.3.The Gati-Shakti Yojana needs meticulous coordination between the government and the private sector to achieve the goal of connectivity. Discuss.

Q.4.Reforming the government delivery system through the Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme is a progressive step, but it has its limitations too. Comment.

Best Wishes!