Government Schemes — SSC CHSL Study Notes

Overview

Government schemes form 3–5 questions in the SSC CHSL General Awareness section and are among the highest-scoring topics if you maintain an updated knowledge base. Questions test scheme names, launch years, beneficiary groups, nodal ministries and key features. The SSC typically focuses on flagship central schemes launched in the last 5–7 years, with occasional questions on older welfare programs and prominent state schemes.

The challenge is not conceptual difficulty but volume and currency—new schemes launch regularly, and existing ones get renamed or merged. Your preparation must balance depth on major schemes with breadth across sectors: agriculture, health, education, financial inclusion, women and child welfare, skill development and rural infrastructure. Questions appear as direct fact-recall ("Under which ministry does Ayushman Bharat operate?") or application-based ("Which scheme provides LPG connections to BPL women?").

Master the major schemes by remembering their **purpose, ministry, launch year and target group**. Keep a monthly current affairs update for new launches and policy changes.

Key Concepts

• **Central vs. State Schemes**: Central schemes are funded and administered by Union ministries; state schemes are state-specific but may receive partial central support. SSC emphasizes central schemes but occasionally includes flagship state programs like Amma Canteen (Tamil Nadu) or Rythu Bandhu (Telangana).

• **Umbrella Schemes**: Many schemes operate as umbrella programs with multiple sub-schemes. For example, PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) covers both urban (PMAY-U) and rural (PMAY-G) housing. Know the parent scheme name and major components.

• **Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)**: Schemes like PM-KISAN, PAHAL (LPG subsidy) and scholarship programs use DBT to transfer funds directly to beneficiary bank accounts, reducing leakage and corruption.

• **Nodal Ministry**: Every central scheme operates under a specific ministry. Questions often ask which ministry administers a scheme—e.g., Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is under Ministry of Women and Child Development.

• **Beneficiary Targeting**: Schemes target specific groups—farmers, women, BPL families, SC/ST, senior citizens, youth. Understanding the target group helps answer application-based questions.

• **Renamed Schemes**: Governments rebrand schemes for political reasons. Examples: Saubhagya (earlier Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana), PM-KISAN (absorbed income support schemes). Track recent renamings.

• **Convergence Schemes**: Some schemes integrate multiple welfare components. Ayushman Bharat combines health insurance (PM-JAY) and wellness centres (HWCs) under one brand.

• **Aadhaar Linkage**: Most modern schemes mandate Aadhaar for beneficiary identification and to prevent duplicate enrolment—important for questions on implementation mechanisms.

Formulas / Key Facts

1. **PM-KISAN** — ₹6000/year to all farmer families; Ministry of Agriculture; launched Feb 2019. 2. **Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY)** — ₹5 lakh health cover for 10 crore poor families; Ministry of Health; launched Sep 2018. 3. **Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)** — Housing for All by 2022; PMAY-U (urban) and PMAY-G (rural); Ministry of Housing and Rural Development. 4. **UJJWALA (PMUY)** — Free LPG connections to BPL women; 8 crore target; Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; launched May 2016. 5. **Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)** — Girl child welfare and education; Ministry of Women and Child Development; launched Jan 2015. 6. **Swachh Bharat Mission** — Sanitation and ODF (Open Defecation Free) India; two phases (2014 and 2020); Ministry of Jal Shakti. 7. **Jal Jeevan Mission** — Tap water connection to every rural household by 2024; Ministry of Jal Shakti; launched Aug 2019. 8. **Skill India Mission (PMKVY)** — Free skill training to youth; Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; launched Jul 2015. 9. **MGNREGA** — 100 days guaranteed wage employment to rural households; Ministry of Rural Development; launched 2005. 10. **PM Mudra Yojana** — Loans up to ₹10 lakh for micro-enterprises; three categories (Shishu, Kishore, Tarun); launched Apr 2015. 11. **Stand Up India** — Bank loans ₹10 lakh–₹1 crore to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs; launched Apr 2016. 12. **Atal Pension Yojana (APY)** — Pension scheme for unorganised sector workers; Ministry of Finance; launched May 2015. 13. **PM Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)** — ₹2 lakh accident insurance for ₹12/year premium; launched May 2015. 14. **PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)** — Crop insurance for farmers; replaces earlier schemes; Ministry of Agriculture; launched Feb 2016. 15. **National Education Policy (NEP) 2020** — Not a scheme but policy framework; 10+2 replaced by 5+3+3+4 structure. 16. **Namami Gange** — Clean Ganga mission; Ministry of Jal Shakti; launched May 2015. 17. **Digital India** — E-governance and broadband infrastructure; launched Jul 2015. 18. **Startup India** — Support to startups through tax exemption, funding; Ministry of Commerce; launched Jan 2016.

Worked Examples

**Example 1**: Which scheme provides ₹6000 per year income support to farmers? **Solution**: PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi). Launched in February 2019, it gives ₹2000 every four months to all farmer families irrespective of landholding size (initially only small/marginal farmers). Administered by Ministry of Agriculture.

**Example 2**: A question states "PM-JAY provides health insurance cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year. Under which larger mission does it operate?" **Solution**: PM-JAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) is a component of **Ayushman Bharat**, which also includes Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs). Ministry of Health and Family Welfare administers it. Launched September 2018.

**Example 3**: Match the scheme with the correct ministry: (a) UJJWALA — Ministry of Rural Development (b) Beti Bachao Beti Padhao — Ministry of Women and Child Development **Solution**: (a) is incorrect—UJJWALA (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana) is under Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. (b) is correct. The trap is confusing rural-focused schemes with the Rural Development ministry.

Common Mistakes

• **Confusing similar-sounding schemes**: PM-KISAN (farmers) vs. PM-KISAN Mandhan (pension for small farmers). Read full names carefully.

• **Wrong ministry attribution**: Students often guess Rural Development for any rural scheme. UJJWALA is Petroleum; Jal Jeevan Mission is Jal Shakti, not Rural Development.

• **Outdated launch years**: Memorizing old data. For example, MGNREGA was 2005, but Ayushman Bharat is 2018. Always verify the year you remember.

• **Missing target groups**: Saying "PM-JAY is for all citizens"—it covers only bottom 40% economically vulnerable families (approx. 10.74 crore families). Beneficiary targeting is crucial.

• **Ignoring scheme rebranding**: Thinking Saubhagya and DDUGJY are two separate schemes when Saubhagya is the rebrand. Keep track of name changes in current affairs.

Quick Reference

• **PM-KISAN** → ₹6000/year income support to farmers; Ministry of Agriculture; 2019.
• **Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY)** → ₹5 lakh health cover; Ministry of Health; 2018; 10.74 crore families.
• **UJJWALA** → Free LPG to BPL women; Ministry of Petroleum; 2016.
• **PMAY** → Housing for All; urban + rural components; 2015.
• **Jal Jeevan Mission** → Tap water to every rural home by 2024; Ministry of Jal Shakti; 2019.
• **Skill India (PMKVY)** → Free skill training; Ministry of Skill Development; 2015.
• **MGNREGA** → 100 days wage employment; rural households; 2005.
• **Mudra** → Loans up to ₹10 lakh for micro-units; 2015.