Social Sector, Welfare Schemes, NGOs and Innovation in Uttar Pradesh

Practice questions (17)

Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.

1. Which body, set up at Prayagraj in 1921, conducts the high school and intermediate examinations of Uttar Pradesh?

   1. Basic Education Board, Prayagraj, for basic primary and upper-primary schools
   2. UP Education Service Selection Commission, for teacher selection in aided institutions
   3. Board of Madarsa Education, for standards and syllabus in madrasas
   4. UP Board of High School and Intermediate Education
   Show answer

   Answer: D — UP Board of High School and Intermediate Education

   The UP Board, the Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, was set up at Prayagraj in 1921 and held its first examination in 1923, so it conducts high school and intermediate examinations. The Basic Education Board runs primary and upper-primary schools under the 1972 Act and does not conduct those examinations. The selection commission recruits teachers under the 2023 Act, and the madarsa board regulates madrasas. The trap is the name, since three of the four options carry the word Board.

2. Under the original 2019 instalment schedule of the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana (launched 25 October 2019), what is the total amount an eligible girl can receive in instalments from birth to Class XII?

   1. Rs 10,000 in total
   2. Rs 12,000 in total
   3. Rs 15,000 in total
   4. Rs 20,000 in total
   Show answer

   Answer: C — Rs 15,000 in total

   The six instalments are Rs 2,000 at birth, Rs 1,000 after the first-year vaccination, Rs 2,000 at Class I, Rs 2,000 at Class VI, Rs 3,000 at Class IX and Rs 5,000 at Class XII, which add to Rs 15,000. The other amounts are not the total of all six payments. The state raised the total to Rs 25,000 from 2024-25, so the stem fixes the original 2019 schedule to keep the answer stable.

3. The Dastak campaign, launched in February 2018 with UNICEF as partner, was aimed mainly at which group of diseases?

   1. Dengue and chikungunya, spread by mosquitoes in urban wards
   2. Acute encephalitis syndrome and Japanese encephalitis
   3. Tuberculosis and leprosy, among adults in urban slum settlements
   4. Malaria and filariasis, in forest and remote rural areas
   Show answer

   Answer: B — Acute encephalitis syndrome and Japanese encephalitis

   The campaign was launched against acute encephalitis syndrome and Japanese encephalitis in 38 affected districts, mostly in the Tarai. Dengue, chikungunya, malaria and filariasis are other diseases with their own campaigns, so none was the target of this launch. The stem fixes the launch date, which is what identifies the original target.

4. PM-KISAN was launched on 24 February 2019 from which Uttar Pradesh city?

   1. Ballia
   2. Lucknow
   3. Prayagraj
   4. Gorakhpur
   Show answer

   Answer: D — Gorakhpur

   The Prime Minister launched PM-KISAN at Gorakhpur on 24 February 2019. Ballia is the usual mix-up, because the Ujjwala Yojana was launched there in 2016. Lucknow and Prayagraj were not the venue for this launch.

5. The table gives two Uttar Pradesh indicators across three NFHS rounds, as reported in an analysis by Ashoka University's CEDA. Institutional births (% of births): NFHS-3 26.2, NFHS-4 67.8, NFHS-5 83.4. Total fertility rate: NFHS-3 3.8, NFHS-4 2.7, NFHS-5 2.4. Which statement is supported by the table?

   1. The total fertility rate fell from 3.8 in NFHS-3 to 2.4 in NFHS-5, a fall of more than one child per woman.
   2. Institutional births rose by less than 40 percentage points between NFHS-3 and NFHS-5, so the share of deliveries in facilities grew only modestly across the two rounds.
   3. The total fertility rate in NFHS-5 was already below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, so no further decline was needed by that round.
   4. Fewer than half of all births were in institutions in the NFHS-4 round, which means most women still delivered at home in that survey.
   Show answer

   Answer: A — The total fertility rate fell from 3.8 in NFHS-3 to 2.4 in NFHS-5, a fall of more than one child per woman.

   The fall from 3.8 to 2.4 is 1.4 children per woman, so the key is supported. Institutional births rose from 26.2 to 83.4 on the CEDA series, a rise of 57.2 points, and more than 40 points on any NFHS-3 figure in the sources. A rate of 2.4 is above the replacement level of 2.1, so the state had not reached it in NFHS-5. Fewer than half is wrong, since NFHS-4 shows 67.8 per cent.

6. The labels P, Q and R stand for three schemes: P is the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Q is PM-KISAN, and R is Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY. The places of launch are Ballia, Chitrakoot, Gorakhpur and Ranchi, and each is used at most once. Which pairing of label and place is correct?

   1. P with Gorakhpur, Q with Ballia, R with Ranchi
   2. P with Ballia, Q with Gorakhpur, R with Ranchi
   3. P with Ballia, Q with Gorakhpur, R with Chitrakoot
   4. P with Ranchi, Q with Ballia, R with Gorakhpur
   Show answer

   Answer: B — P with Ballia, Q with Gorakhpur, R with Ranchi

   Ujjwala was launched at Ballia on 1 May 2016, PM-KISAN at Gorakhpur on 24 February 2019, and PM-JAY at Ranchi on 23 September 2018. The Chitrakoot pairing is a trap: Chitrakoot is a real Uttar Pradesh place, linked with the Deendayal Research Institute and rural development, but not with the launch of any of these three schemes.

7. Which of the following is NOT a feature of the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, as in force from 1 July 2026?

   1. A guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year for a rural household whose adults volunteer for unskilled manual work
   2. A pause of up to sixty days in a financial year that a state may notify during peak sowing or harvesting
   3. Union funding of the whole unskilled wage cost in every state, as the earlier MGNREGA framework provided
   4. A Centre-state cost-sharing ratio of 60:40 in most states, with a 90:10 ratio for north-eastern and Himalayan states
   Show answer

   Answer: C — Union funding of the whole unskilled wage cost in every state, as the earlier MGNREGA framework provided

   The Act guarantees 125 days, lets states notify a pause of up to 60 days in a year, and shares cost 60:40 in most states with 90:10 in the north-eastern and Himalayan states. The Union paying the whole unskilled wage cost in every state was a feature of MGNREGA, which the Act repealed from the same date. The key is the one describing the old framework.

8. An NGO in Uttar Pradesh wants to register as a society. Which law and which office govern its registration?

   1. Societies Registration Act, 1860 as applied in Uttar Pradesh, before the Registrar of Firms, Societies and Chits
   2. Companies Act, 2013 section 8, before the Registrar of Companies at Lucknow
   3. Indian Trusts Act, 1882, which governs trusts rather than societies, before the Registrar of Firms, Societies and Chits
   4. Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Act, 1972, before the Basic Education Board
   Show answer

   Answer: A — Societies Registration Act, 1860 as applied in Uttar Pradesh, before the Registrar of Firms, Societies and Chits

   A society in Uttar Pradesh is registered under the 1860 Act as applied in the state, before the Registrar of Firms, Societies and Chits. A section 8 company is a different legal form under the Companies Act, 2013, and a trust is governed by the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, so an NGO that wants society status cannot use either. The Basic Education Act governs schools, not NGO registration, so it is the unrelated distractor.

9. Consider these statements about the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. P: The Act came into force on 1 April 2010. Q: Article 21A, inserted by the 86th Amendment of 2002, makes free and compulsory education for children aged six to fourteen a fundamental right. R: Section 12(1)(c) requires non-minority private unaided schools to reserve 25 per cent of entry-level seats for disadvantaged children. S: The 25 per cent reservation applies to admission in classes nine to twelve. Which of the statements are correct?

   1. P and Q only
   2. R and S only
   3. P, Q and R only
   4. P, Q and S only
   Show answer

   Answer: C — P, Q and R only

   P, Q and R are correct. S is wrong because the obligation attaches to entry-level seats, not to every class from nine to twelve. The trap is the scope of R: the quota binds non-minority private unaided schools, so the answer keeps that scope word.

10. Arrange these four Uttar Pradesh welfare or empowerment programmes in order of launch, from earliest to latest: Mission Shakti, Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana and Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana.

    1. Mission Shakti, Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Abhyudaya Yojana, Bal Seva Yojana
    2. Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Abhyudaya Yojana, Mission Shakti, Bal Seva Yojana
    3. Abhyudaya Yojana, Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Mission Shakti, Bal Seva Yojana
    4. Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Mission Shakti, Abhyudaya Yojana, Bal Seva Yojana
    Show answer

    Answer: D — Kanya Sumangala Yojana, Mission Shakti, Abhyudaya Yojana, Bal Seva Yojana

    Kanya Sumangala began on 25 October 2019, Mission Shakti on Navratri of October 2020, Abhyudaya coaching in February 2021 and Bal Seva in May 2021. The common slip is to put Mission Shakti first because it is the best-known campaign. The order of the list in the stem is not the answer order.

11. Under the Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy 2020 as amended in 2022, what is the monthly sustenance allowance for an idea-stage startup for one year?

    1. Rs 17,500 per month
    2. Rs 10,000 per month
    3. Rs 25,000 per month
    4. Rs 50,000 per month
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Rs 17,500 per month

    The 2022 First Amendment sets the sustenance allowance at Rs 17,500 per month for one year for idea-stage startups, up to 25 per incubator a year. The Rs 5 lakh figure is the prototype grant and the Rs 7.5 lakh figure is seed and marketing assistance; both are one-time, not monthly. Mixing the three ceilings is the usual error.

12. Under the rules for Chief Minister's Fellows reported in February 2026 for state recruitment exams, how many extra marks does a fellow with two years of service get in a test of 1,000 marks?

    1. 2.5 marks
    2. 7.5 marks
    3. 10 marks
    4. 5 marks
    Show answer

    Answer: D — 5 marks

    The reported scale for a 1,000-mark examination is 2.5 marks for one year of service, 5 for two years and 7.5 for three years. The 7.5 figure belongs to three years, and ten marks is not on the reported scale. State the date of the report in any answer, since these are rules reported in February 2026.

13. A family has two daughters, both born after 1 April 2019, and both qualify under the original 2019 schedule of the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana (launched 25 October 2019). Each daughter receives all six instalments of that schedule and no others. What is the total paid to the family?

    1. Rs 15,000
    2. Rs 25,000
    3. Rs 30,000
    4. Rs 35,000
    Show answer

    Answer: C — Rs 30,000

    Each eligible daughter receives Rs 15,000 across the six instalments, and the family has two eligible daughters, so the total is Rs 30,000. Rs 15,000 counts only one daughter. Rs 35,000 would need a third eligible girl, which the two-daughter limit rules out. The step most often missed is applying the per-girl total to each eligible daughter.

14. Consider these statements about the Viksit Bharat–G RAM G Act, 2025, as in force from 1 July 2026. P: It replaces MGNREGA, which it repeals from the same date. Q: It guarantees 125 days of wage employment per financial year to a rural household that volunteers for unskilled manual work. R: In most states the Centre and the state share the cost in a 60:40 ratio. S: A state may notify a pause of up to 120 days in a financial year during peak agricultural seasons. Which of the statements are correct?

    1. P, Q and S only
    2. P, R and S only
    3. Q, R and S only
    4. P, Q and R only
    Show answer

    Answer: D — P, Q and R only

    P, Q and R are correct. S is wrong: the pause is up to sixty days, not 120. The 120 figure is the trap, because it doubles the pause and could be mistaken for a longer agricultural exemption. Keep the date in your answer, since the 125-day and cost-sharing terms apply from 1 July 2026.

15. Arrange these four institutions connected with Uttar Pradesh's health and social sectors in order of establishment, earliest first: the Deendayal Research Institute at Chitrakoot; Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow; King George's Medical University, using the year it became a state university; and AIIMS Gorakhpur, using the year it was inaugurated.

    1. Sanjay Gandhi PGI, Deendayal Research Institute, King George's University, AIIMS Gorakhpur
    2. Deendayal Research Institute, King George's University, Sanjay Gandhi PGI, AIIMS Gorakhpur
    3. Deendayal Research Institute, Sanjay Gandhi PGI, King George's University, AIIMS Gorakhpur
    4. Deendayal Research Institute, Sanjay Gandhi PGI, AIIMS Gorakhpur, King George's University
    Show answer

    Answer: C — Deendayal Research Institute, Sanjay Gandhi PGI, King George's University, AIIMS Gorakhpur

    The dates are the Deendayal Research Institute in 1968, SGPGIMS in 1983, King George's as a state university in 2002, and AIIMS Gorakhpur inaugurated in 2021. The trap is King George's, whose first medical session dates to 1911, which would wrongly place it first. The stem fixes its date as the year it became a state university.

16. Which statement about Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and its Uttar Pradesh implementation is correct?

    1. The scheme was launched in Lucknow in 2019 as a fully state-funded cover for every family in Uttar Pradesh.
    2. The scheme gives unlimited cover per family for outpatient care, and Uttar Pradesh is the only state that runs it through a state agency.
    3. The scheme was launched at Ranchi on 23 September 2018, offers cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, and is run in Uttar Pradesh by SACHIS.
    4. The scheme is run in Uttar Pradesh by the Basic Education Board, Prayagraj, and covers school health checks.
    Show answer

    Answer: A — The scheme was launched in Lucknow in 2019 as a fully state-funded cover for every family in Uttar Pradesh.

    PM-JAY was launched at Ranchi on 23 September 2018, with cover up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for hospitalisation, and SACHIS is its state agency in Uttar Pradesh. The Lucknow, fully state-funded version confuses PM-JAY with MMJAA, which is a separate state scheme for families the central scheme missed. The outpatient and only-state claims are not features of the scheme, and the Basic Education Board has no health role.

17. Consider these statements. P: The NGO Darpan unique ID is itself the legal registration of a society in Uttar Pradesh. Q: A society in Uttar Pradesh is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 as applied in the state. R: The Central Social Welfare Board was set up in 1953 to channel government funds to voluntary organisations. S: The National Social Assistance Programme was launched on 15 August 1995 as a centrally sponsored scheme. Which of the statements are correct?

    1. P and Q only
    2. Q, R and S only
    3. P, R and S only
    4. R and S only
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Q, R and S only

    Q, R and S are correct. P is wrong because NGO Darpan issues an ID for grant eligibility, and a society's registration is a separate legal act. Q, R and S are the three statements that hold: the state-applied 1860 Act, the 1953 board, and the 1995 programme as a centrally sponsored scheme. The trap is P, which uses a real portal to imply a legal status it does not confer.