Government Schemes and Welfare Programmes
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Government schemes are a critical component of RAS General Knowledge — questions frequently ask about major welfare programmes, their objectives, and key features. This note covers central and Rajasthan-specific government schemes launched or significantly expanded in recent years.
Key Facts for RPSC RAS:
- PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi: ₹6,000 per year to farmer families — direct benefit transfer to bank accounts.
- Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY): ₹5 lakh coverage per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation — world’s largest health insurance scheme.
- Saubhagya Yojana: Free electricity connections to all households — Rajasthan achieved 100% household electrification.
- Ujjwala Yojana: Free LPG connections to women from BPL households — over 8 crore connections nationally.
- Rajasthan’s Bhamashah Card: Integrated with NFSA — enables direct benefit transfer for foodgrain, scholarships, and health insurance.
⚡ Exam tip: Scheme names, year of launch, key monetary benefits, and Rajasthan-specific adaptations are high-yield for RAS Prelims.
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Central Government Schemes
1. Ayushman Bharat — Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)
Launch: 2018 (announced 2017) Objective: Provide health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation to the bottom 40% of India’s population.
Coverage:
- Approximately 10.74 crore families (~50 crore beneficiaries)
- Covers hospitalisation expenses — room charges, doctor fees, surgery, diagnostics, medicines
- No cap on family size or age
- Pre-existing diseases covered from day one
Implementation in Rajasthan:
- Rajasthan joined PM-JAY in 2019
- Ayushman Card issued through Common Service Centres (CSCs), Jan Aushadhi Kendras, and government hospitals
- Rajasthan already had its own Bhamashah scheme — PM-JAY was integrated with Bhamashah for seamless implementation
Key Features:
- Cashless and paperless treatment
- Over 24,000 empanelled hospitals across India (2024)
- 1,350+ health benefit packages — the most comprehensive in the world
- PM-JAY Dieter package: Simplified packages for common conditions
2. PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi
Launch: 2018 (first instalment paid in 2019) Objective: Provide income support of ₹6,000 per year to farmer families.
Structure:
- ₹2,000 every 4 months (3 instalments per year)
- Direct benefit transfer (DBT) to bank accounts — no middlemen
- Covers all farmer families irrespective of landholding size (some exclusions for high-income groups)
Eligibility:
- Small and marginal farmers (SMFs) with cultivable land
- Income support — not linked to actual farming
- Land records must be updated in state portals
Rajasthan Implementation:
- Rajasthan has one of the highest numbers of PM-KISAN beneficiaries
- Bhamashah Card integration for direct transfer
- State has updated land records significantly under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme
3. Saubhagya Yojana (Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana)
Launch: 2017 Objective: Provide electricity connections to all households in India.
Achievements:
- Over 2.6 crore households electrified
- India achieved near-universal household electrification
- Rajasthan achieved 100% household electrification under this scheme
Rajasthan context:
- Remote desert villages were a major challenge — solar-powered solutions used for very remote areas
- Rajasthan also has the Solar Energy Policy — promoting rooftop solar
4. Ujjwala Yojana (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana)
Launch: 2016 Objective: Provide free LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households to reduce indoor air pollution and improve women’s health.
Key features:
- Free LPG connection + first refill
- First installment of security deposit to oil marketing company
- PM-Ujjwala 2.0 (2021) extended coverage to SC/ST, tea garden workers, and difficult terrain areas
- Over 8 crore connections issued nationally
Health impact:
- Reduces indoor air pollution — major cause of respiratory diseases in women
- Reduces the burden of collecting firewood
- Improves kitchen safety
5. Stand-Up India
Launch: 2016 Objective: Promote entrepreneurship among SC, ST, and women by facilitating bank loans of ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore for greenfield enterprises.
Features:
- At least one woman or SC/ST entrepreneur per bank branch
- Loans for setting up new enterprises in manufacturing, services, or trading
- Interest rate concession — generally not more than (base rate + 3% + tenor premium)
6. Startup India
Launch: 2016 Objective: Build an ecosystem for startups in India.
Key features:
- Startup registration through DPIIT portal
- Tax exemptions for 3 years
- Fund of Funds for startups (₹10,000 crore corpus)
- 16 government schemes integrated into Startup India portal
- Ease of doing business — single-window clearance
Rajasthan-Specific Schemes
1. Bhamashah Card and Bhamashah Yojana
Launch: 2014 (under Vasundhara Raje’s government) Objective: Provide transparent and direct delivery of government benefits and subsidies to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
Key features:
- Family-based smart card — linked to Aadhaar
- Covers foodgrain under NFSA (National Food Security Act)
- Health insurance integration (later integrated with PM-JAY)
- Scholarship disbursement
- Widow and pensioner benefits
Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojana:
- Cashless treatment up to ₹30,000 for BPL families
- Pre and post-hospitalisation expenses covered
- Hospitalisation in empanelled government and private hospitals
2. Rajasthan Urban Health Mission
Launch: 2015 Objective: Improve urban healthcare delivery in Rajasthan’s cities.
Key features:
- Free medicines at government pharmacies
- Free diagnostic services at government labs
- Free dialysis services for the poor
- PPP (Public-Private Partnership) in healthcare delivery
3. Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme (Rajasthan)
Launch: 2021 (expanded significantly in 2022-2024) Objective: Provide free treatment up to ₹10 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care.
Key features:
- Cashless treatment at all government and empanelled private hospitals
- Covers 1,576 medical procedures
- Benefits: ₹5 lakh from state budget + ₹5 lakh from PM-JAY = ₹10 lakh total coverage
- One of the most generous state health schemes in India
Implementation:
- Bhamashah Card is the identity document
- Over 1 crore families enrolled
- All districts covered
4. Rajshree Yojana
Launch: 2016 Objective: To improve the child sex ratio in Rajasthan, which is one of the lowest in India.
Features:
- ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 for the birth of a girl child
- Continues through the girl’s education — ₹2,000 per class for Class 1 to 8
- ₹5,000 for completing Class 8
- ₹11,000 for completing Class 10
- ₹25,000 for completing Class 12
Goal: Reduce the financial burden of raising a girl child and combat female foeticide
5. Rajasthan Skill and Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC)
Objective: Skill development and employment generation.
Key programmes:
- Mukhyamantri Yuva Employment and Skills Programme
- Kausal Kendra — vocational training centres
- Apprenticeship programmes linking industries with trained youth
6. Indira Gandhi Urban Transport Scheme
Features:
- Subsidised urban transport for the poor
- Metro connectivity (Jaipur Metro — Phase 1 operational since 2015)
- Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Jaipur
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Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.
Analysis and Comparison of Key Schemes
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) — How it Works
DBT is the backbone of most central welfare schemes:
- Beneficiary identification (SECC 2011 data, or state-specific databases)
- Aadhaar seeding — linking beneficiary to Aadhaar number
- Bank account linkage
- Payment through PFMS (Public Financial Management System)
- Real-time monitoring of fund flow
Advantages of DBT:
- Reduces corruption — no middlemen
- Ensures last-mile delivery
- Transparency in fund utilisation
- Reduces diversion of funds
Challenges:
- Aadhaar linkage issues — especially for remote rural areas
- Bank account inactivity
- Database inaccuracies — wrong beneficiary identification
NITI Aayog’s SDG Index — Rajasthan’s Performance
Rajasthan has been improving on NITI Aayog’s SDG Index:
| Goal | Rajasthan’s Performance |
|---|---|
| No Poverty | Aspirant |
| Zero Hunger | Aspirant |
| Good Health | Performer |
| Quality Education | Performer |
| Gender Equality | Aspirant |
| Clean Water & Sanitation | Performer |
| Decent Work | Aspirant |
| Reduced Inequality | Aspirant |
Practice Questions for RPSC RAS
- What is Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY? How is it implemented in Rajasthan?
- How does the PM-KISAN scheme provide income support to farmers? What is the role of DBT?
- Explain the Bhamashah scheme and its role in welfare delivery in Rajasthan.
- What is the Rajshree Yojana and how does it aim to improve the child sex ratio?
- How does Chiranjeevi Yojana compare to other state health insurance schemes?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing Bhamashah with PM-JAY — they are linked but Bhamashah is older and covers more than just health.
- Forgetting the scheme launch year — year of launch is often asked in RAS Prelims.
- Confusing Ujjwala (LPG) with Saubhagya (electricity) — both are household schemes but different objectives.
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