MCQ Online Test: Welfare Schemes-1 - SSC CGL MCQ

Majuli, the world’s largest river island located in Assam’s Brahmaputra River, has officially been declared India’s first carbon-neutral district. Under the SACReD initiative, measures such as large-scale afforestation, biodiversity conservation, promotion of solar energy, and eco-friendly tourism have been implemented. The district administration has involved local communities, NGOs, and scientific institutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while boosting livelihoods. Majuli’s recognition reflects its role as a model for climate-resilient development in ecologically sensitive regions.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018, issued under the PCA Act, regulate the functioning of pet shops across India.

• Registration: All pet shops must be registered with the respective State Animal Welfare Board.
• Inspection: Premises are inspected by a team including a veterinarian, authorised officials, and animal welfare representatives to ensure compliance before granting registration.
• Record-keeping: Shops must maintain accurate logs of animal purchases, sales, births, illnesses, and deaths.
• Animal Welfare Standards: Adequate space, proper ventilation, regular veterinary care, and species-specific facilities are mandatory.

This framework aims to curb cruelty and ensure humane treatment of animals in the trade.

The Mahila Police Volunteer initiative, launched in 2016, is a joint effort of the Ministry of Women & Child Development and the Ministry of Home Affairs. MPVs act as a bridge between police and the local community, helping women in distress, reporting crimes, and promoting awareness on women’s safety laws.

• Coverage: One MPV is appointed per Gram Panchayat.
• Selection: Women volunteers are chosen based on social awareness, responsibility, and integrity.
• First State: Haryana pioneered the initiative, launching it in districts like Karnal and Mahendragarh.

In 2025, the scheme continues in select states, though nationwide expansion has been gradual.

PMAY-U, launched on June 25, 2015, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, aims to ensure “Housing for All” through:
In-situ slum rehabilitation

• Credit-linked subsidy
• Affordable housing in partnership
• Beneficiary-led individual house construction/enhancement

The original deadline was 2022, extended multiple times due to project delays. In 2024, the government extended the deadline to December 31, 2025 to allow completion of all houses sanctioned up to March 31, 2022. This extension benefits EWS, LIG, and MIG households under both PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0.

The GARV-II app, developed by the Ministry of Power, is an upgraded platform under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and Saubhagya scheme. It allows:

• Real-time Monitoring: Displays village and habitation-wise electrification data.
• Transparency: Public access to status reports on electrification, sanctioned works, and fund releases.
• Community Involvement: Citizens can upload geo-tagged images and report issues in their area.

In 2025, although universal household electrification has been nearly achieved, GARV-II remains a key transparency and audit tool.

Lanura, in Budgam district, was declared the first cashless village in J&K after demonetisation in 2016. At least one member from each household was trained in using electronic payment systems like PoS machines, mobile wallets, and net banking. Around 150 residents were initially trained.

• Motivation: Promote digital transactions in rural areas and reduce dependency on cash.
• Current Status: Over time, cash transactions have returned to dominance due to patchy internet connectivity, lack of consistent training, and preference for cash in small transactions.

This example highlights the challenges of sustaining cashless initiatives in rural India.

• Wind Power: As of 2025, India ranks 4th globally in installed wind capacity (behind China, USA, and Germany) with over 45 GW capacity.
• Solar Pumps: Post-2016, government programs like PM-KUSUM have accelerated deployment, adding over 3 lakh solar pumps for irrigation by 2024.
• RE Policy Drive: This expansion is part of India’s broader renewable energy target of 500 GW by 2030, announced at COP26.

This shows India’s sustained leadership in renewable energy growth.

Agni-5 is an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range exceeding 5,000 km, developed by the DRDO.

• Indigenous Development: Entirely designed in India, incorporating advanced guidance, composite motor casings, and MIRV capability.
• Strategic Role: Extends India’s nuclear deterrence reach to cover strategic targets in Asia and beyond.
• Recent Tests: In 2024, a successful MIRV test demonstrated the missile’s ability to strike multiple targets from a single launch.

Agni-5 is a cornerstone of India’s strategic missile arsenal.
 

Formerly known as Wheeler Island, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast is India’s premier missile testing site under the Integrated Test Range (ITR).

• Facilities: Houses advanced radar, telemetry, and tracking stations to monitor missile performance.
• Recent Use: All major Agni-5 trials, including the 2024 MIRV test, were conducted here.

This island is crucial for validating India’s strategic missile capabilities.

The Digitally Safe Consumer campaign was a 2017–2018 joint initiative by Google India and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to spread awareness about online safety.

• Scope: Trained consumer organisation members, department personnel, and National Consumer Helpline counsellors in cyber safety practices.
• Workshops: Covered password protection, identifying phishing, safe online payments, and privacy tools.

While the original campaign was time-bound, its training materials and safety protocols continue to be referenced in digital literacy efforts in 2025.

Researchers at IIT Kanpur published a landmark study (2016) in Scientific Reports showing that:

• Brown Carbon Role: Brown carbon from biomass burning absorbs sunlight and contributes to atmospheric warming.
• Findings: Light absorption at 365 nm wavelength was five times higher in Kanpur than in comparable US sites.
• Relevance in 2025: Studies since then have incorporated brown carbon effects into climate models, improving projections for South Asia.

This work remains a reference point for understanding aerosol-induced warming.

The POCSO e-Box is an online complaint mechanism enabling children to report sexual abuse directly and confidentially to NCPCR.

• Functionality: Step-by-step guided form to lodge complaints.
• Confidentiality: Protects identity of complainants, ensuring safety.
• Legal Backing: Operates under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

In 2025, the e-Box remains functional and has been integrated with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal for faster redressal.

The Google Maps Toilet Locator was launched in 2016 through a partnership between Google and the Ministry of Urban Development (now Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs).

• Purpose: Help citizens locate the nearest public toilets, with details like seat type, operational hours, and whether usage is free or paid.
• Coverage in 2025: Expanded from the initial NCR and MP cities to over 3,500 cities and towns across India.
• Impact: Supports the Swachh Bharat Mission’s urban sanitation goals by reducing open defecation in public spaces.

December 22 marks the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887–1920), one of India’s greatest mathematicians.

• Contributions: Made pioneering work in number theory, infinite series, continued fractions, and modular forms.
• Recognition: Declared National Mathematics Day in 2012 by the Government of India.
• Legacy in 2025: The Ramanujan Math Park in Andhra Pradesh and the Ramanujan Institute in Chennai continue to promote mathematics education.

Launched by the Ministry of Power, Coal Mitra enables efficient utilisation of domestic coal by allowing power plants to transfer coal linkages to more cost-effective units.

• Benefits: Reduces generation cost and optimises coal transportation.
• Features: Displays fixed and variable charges, operational parameters, and coal supply data for each plant.
• Relevance in 2025: Still operational under the broader energy efficiency and coal logistics optimisation strategy.

The Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) is a precision-guided glide bomb developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

• Specifications: 120 kg class, range of ~100 km, designed to target runways and airfield infrastructure.
• Integration: Compatible with IAF aircraft like Jaguar and Su-30 MKI.
• Recent Developments: By 2025, DRDO has conducted multiple successful trials with enhanced guidance and warhead capabilities.

Tantalum carbide and hafnium carbide are refractory ceramics with melting points above 3,900°C.

• Uses: Potential in spacecraft heat shields, nuclear reactors, and hypersonic vehicles.
• Significance: Their ability to withstand extreme heat surpasses most known materials, making them crucial for high-temperature engineering applications.

• ABHAY: Designed for small platforms like shallow water craft and patrol vessels.
• NACS: Used for in-situ testing of sonar performance, not ex-situ.
• AIDSS: An Emergency Sound Signalling Device to indicate submarine distress and enable rapid rescue.

Thus, only statement C is correct.

The PARAM 8000, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in 1991, was India’s first indigenous supercomputer.

• Current Status (2025): India now operates multiple petascale systems like Pratyush (weather/climate) and Mihir (atmospheric science), and is developing exascale capabilities.
• Rankings: SahasraT (IISc) has ranked among India’s top HPC systems.

In late 2016, following demonetisation, a high-level committee under Amitabh Kant was tasked to identify barriers to digital payments and recommend solutions.

• Focus Areas: User-friendly payment systems, awareness campaigns, and infrastructure enhancement.
• Outcome: Led to the early expansion of UPI and BharatQR systems, which in 2025 are now dominant in India’s digital payment ecosystem.

SRTMI is an industry-driven body set up as a registered society with support from the Ministry of Steel.

• Objective: Fund and coordinate R&D projects to improve quality, reduce costs, and adopt sustainable practices in steel manufacturing.
• Governance: Managed by a Governing Body comprising steel CEOs, domain experts, and ministry representatives.

Rustom-2 (now known as TAPAS-BH-201) is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV developed by DRDO.

• Role: ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) missions for the armed forces.
• Status 2025: Ongoing user trials with the Indian Air Force, Navy, and Army; integration with indigenous payloads is in progress.

Launched in 2016, the Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana is run by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

• Goal: Create an entrepreneurship ecosystem through training, mentoring, and access to credit.
• Coverage: Targets over 7 lakh youth through institutes across India over five years.
• Status in 2025: Integrated with the Skill India Mission for extended coverage.

Adopted in November 2016 at the First International Agro-Biodiversity Congress in New Delhi.

• Key Points: Emphasised conservation and sustainable use of agro-biodiversity to meet SDGs on food security and climate resilience.
• Relevance in 2025: Forms part of India’s agri-policy inputs for biodiversity preservation.

NASA’s Psyche mission, launched in 2023, targets the asteroid 16 Psyche.

• Composition: Mostly nickel-iron metal.
• Significance: May reveal planetary core formation processes.
• Location: Resides in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
• In 2025: The spacecraft is en route, with arrival planned for 2029.