UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — 700 SHE-MARTs, 1,000 District Fulfilment Centres to be set up to ensure 6 crore lakpati didis

Q1. With reference to the recently announced 700 SHE-MARTs and 1,000 District Fulfilment Centres meant to enable the 6-crore Lakhpati Didi target, which one of the following is the implementing ministry/department?

  • A. Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • B. Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development
  • C. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
  • D. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

Q2. With reference to the SHE-MARTs and District Fulfilment Centres (DFCs) announced in 2026 vis-à-vis earlier elements of the Lakhpati Didi initiative, consider the following statements: 1. SHE-MARTs are conceived as community-owned retail outlets nested within Cluster-Level Federations, while District Fulfilment Centres are planned as the logistics/aggregation backbone feeding them. 2. The Lakhpati Didi scheme was originally launched with a target of 1 crore women in 2023, which has now been scaled up to 6 crore. 3. The number of District Fulfilment Centres planned is greater than the number of SHE-MARTs planned. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. SHE-MARTs are conceived as community-owned retail outlets nested within Cluster-Level Federations, while District Fulfilment Centres are planned as the logistics/aggregation backbone feeding them.
  2. The Lakhpati Didi scheme was originally launched with a target of 1 crore women in 2023, which has now been scaled up to 6 crore.
  3. The number of District Fulfilment Centres planned is greater than the number of SHE-MARTs planned.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. With reference to the Government of India's rural livelihoods initiatives, which one of the following best describes a 'Lakhpati Didi'?

  • A. A Self-Help Group member whose annual household income is at least ₹1 lakh, with an average monthly income of at least ₹10,000, sustained over at least four agricultural seasons or business cycles.
  • B. A rural woman entrepreneur who has availed of a collateral-free Mudra loan of at least ₹1 lakh under the Shishu category of PMMY.
  • C. A woman beneficiary who has received a one-time direct benefit transfer of ₹1 lakh under the PM Vishwakarma scheme on completion of skill training.
  • D. An Anganwadi worker whose annual remuneration, inclusive of state top-ups, exceeds ₹1 lakh from non-farm livelihood activities.

Q4. With reference to the evolution of the Lakhpati Didi Yojana, consider the following statements: 1. The scheme was announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address on 15 August 2023, with an initial target of 2 crore Lakhpati Didis. 2. The target was enhanced from 2 crore to 3 crore in the Interim Budget 2024-25 presented by the Union Finance Minister. 3. The initiative is implemented under the National Social Assistance Programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The scheme was announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address on 15 August 2023, with an initial target of 2 crore Lakhpati Didis.
  2. The target was enhanced from 2 crore to 3 crore in the Interim Budget 2024-25 presented by the Union Finance Minister.
  3. The initiative is implemented under the National Social Assistance Programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. With reference to the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It was launched in June 2011 by the Ministry of Rural Development as the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
  2. It was renamed as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – NRLM with effect from 2015.
  3. The mission has been supported by the World Bank through a credit under the National Rural Livelihoods Project.
  4. It is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • D. 3 only

Q6. In which year was the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) formally renamed as the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)?

  • A. 2011
  • B. 2014
  • C. 2016
  • D. 2018

Q7. With reference to marketing platforms and initiatives for Self-Help Group (SHG) products under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), consider the following: 1. e-SARAS portal — an online marketplace launched by the Ministry of Rural Development for retail sale of SHG-made products. 2. SARAS Collection — a Store Front created on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) for marketing SHG products. 3. SARAS Aajeevika Mela — a direct physical marketing fair for rural women producers organised at national and state levels. 4. Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana — a dedicated e-commerce portal for online sale of SHG handicrafts and handlooms. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly described?

  1. e-SARAS portal — an online marketplace launched by the Ministry of Rural Development for retail sale of SHG-made products.
  2. SARAS Collection — a Store Front created on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) for marketing SHG products.
  3. SARAS Aajeevika Mela — a direct physical marketing fair for rural women producers organised at national and state levels.
  4. Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana — a dedicated e-commerce portal for online sale of SHG handicrafts and handlooms.
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q8. With reference to the digital marketing ecosystem for Self-Help Group (SHG) products under DAY-NRLM, consider the following statements: 1. The e-SARAS portal was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development in 2022 for online marketing of SHG products, while the eSARAS mobile App was launched separately in 2023 to strengthen this support. 2. The eSARAS Fulfillment Centre is operated by the Foundation for Development of Rural Value Chains (FDRVC) and handles processing, packaging and shipping of products ordered through the eSARAS portal and app. 3. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), on which eSaras.in lists SHG products, is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development as a sub-component of DAY-NRLM. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The e-SARAS portal was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development in 2022 for online marketing of SHG products, while the eSARAS mobile App was launched separately in 2023 to strengthen this support.
  2. The eSARAS Fulfillment Centre is operated by the Foundation for Development of Rural Value Chains (FDRVC) and handles processing, packaging and shipping of products ordered through the eSARAS portal and app.
  3. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), on which eSaras.in lists SHG products, is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development as a sub-component of DAY-NRLM.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. With reference to the institutional architecture of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), consider the following statements: 1. Self Help Groups (SHGs) constitute the foundational tier of the three-tier community institutional structure. 2. Village Organisations (VOs) are federations situated between SHGs and Cluster Level Federations. 3. The SHE-MARTs announced in 2026 are to be housed within Cluster Level Federations. 4. DAY-NRLM is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Self Help Groups (SHGs) constitute the foundational tier of the three-tier community institutional structure.
  2. Village Organisations (VOs) are federations situated between SHGs and Cluster Level Federations.
  3. The SHE-MARTs announced in 2026 are to be housed within Cluster Level Federations.
  4. DAY-NRLM is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q10. Which one of the following is the nodal central government department under which the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) initiative is anchored?

  • A. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • B. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
  • C. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
  • D. Department of Financial Services

Q11. With reference to the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), consider the following statements: 1. It was incorporated as a non-profit Section-8 company in December 2021. 2. It is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. 3. The ONDC Protocol is a closed proprietary standard that can be used only by entities holding a paid licence from ONDC. 4. The Department of Posts has been onboarded on the network as a Logistics Service Provider. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It was incorporated as a non-profit Section-8 company in December 2021.
  2. It is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
  3. The ONDC Protocol is a closed proprietary standard that can be used only by entities holding a paid licence from ONDC.
  4. The Department of Posts has been onboarded on the network as a Logistics Service Provider.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 4 only

Q12. With reference to the 'SHE-Marts' announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

  1. They are proposed as community-owned retail outlets nested within Cluster-Level Federations of Self-Help Groups.
  2. They are to be operationalised under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Ministry of Rural Development.
  3. They are conceived as government-owned department stores operated by State Panchayati Raj Departments in every block.
  4. They aim to shift SHG women from credit-led micro-activities to sustainable enterprise ownership with assured market linkages.
  • A. 1, 2 and 4
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q13. With reference to the women and rural-livelihoods provisions of the Union Budget 2026-27, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Budget proposes setting up SHE-Marts as community-owned retail outlets in every district to market products of SHG women.
  2. The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) has been allocated about Rs 19,200 crore in the Union Budget 2026-27.
  3. SHE-Marts are envisaged as the marketing-and-market-access pillar that takes forward the Lakhpati Didi programme.
  4. The share of the Gender Budget in the total Union Budget has been reduced in FY 2026-27 as compared with FY 2025-26.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4