Previous Year Question
Arrange the following schemes launched by the Government of India in chronological order and choose the correct answer from the codes given below:
Integrated Rural Development Programme
Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana
Codes:
1, 2, 3, 4
3, 4, 1, 2
2, 3, 4, 1
4, 3, 1, 2
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
1. Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP): It was launched in 1978-79. Initially implemented in selected blocks, it was extended to all blocks of the country with effect from 2 October 1980. Its objective was to promote self-employment and poverty alleviation by providing income-generating assets to poor rural families through a combination of subsidy and institutional credit.
2. Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY): It was operationalised in April 1999. It integrated IRDP and several earlier self-employment programmes. It emphasised organising the rural poor into Self-Help Groups and linking them with bank credit, subsidy, training and income-generating activities.
3. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA): The Act was enacted in 2005, and its implementation began on 2 February 2006. Its basic objective was to provide a statutory guarantee of wage employment on demand to rural households. Therefore, it comes after SGSY of 1999 in the chronology.
4. Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): It was launched nationwide on 28 August 2014. Its objective was to advance financial inclusion by connecting households with bank accounts and basic financial services through the formal banking system.