UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Social Justice and Empowerment Department records significant growth in scholarship coverage for SC Students.

Q1. With reference to constitutional provisions enabling the social and educational promotion of Scheduled Castes, consider the following pairings of an Article with its content: 1. Article 17 — Abolition of untouchability and forbiddance of its practice in any form, with enforcement of any resulting disability made an offence punishable by law. 2. Article 46 — A Fundamental Right that guarantees special provision for Scheduled Castes in admission to educational institutions, including private institutions. 3. Article 338 — Establishes the National Commission for Scheduled Castes as a constitutional body, vested with the powers of a civil court while investigating safeguards. 4. Article 15(4) — Empowers Parliament alone to prescribe by law the punishments for acts forbidden as practices of untouchability. Which of the above pairings is/are NOT correctly matched?

  1. Article 17 — Abolition of untouchability and forbiddance of its practice in any form, with enforcement of any resulting disability made an offence punishable by law.
  2. Article 46 — A Fundamental Right that guarantees special provision for Scheduled Castes in admission to educational institutions, including private institutions.
  3. Article 338 — Establishes the National Commission for Scheduled Castes as a constitutional body, vested with the powers of a civil court while investigating safeguards.
  4. Article 15(4) — Empowers Parliament alone to prescribe by law the punishments for acts forbidden as practices of untouchability.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q2. Which one of the following is the longest-running Centrally Sponsored Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste students in India?

  • A. Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students
  • B. National Overseas Scholarship for SC Students
  • C. Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students (PMS-SC)
  • D. National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students

Q3. Under the transformatory revamp of the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste students (PMS-SC) approved in 2020-21, which one of the following is the nodal Union Ministry responsible for its implementation through the States and Union Territories?

  • A. Ministry of Education
  • B. Ministry of Tribal Affairs
  • C. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • D. Ministry of Minority Affairs

Q4. In the context of the pre-2020 Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC students (PMS-SC), the term 'committed liability', which was discontinued by the 2020-21 revamp, is best described as:

  • A. An arrangement under which the State Government had to first meet its share of expenditure of a notified base year, and the Union Government's assistance was limited only to the residual amount over and above that fixed State commitment.
  • B. A fixed 50:50 sharing pattern between the Centre and the States for all scholarship disbursements, with the Centre's share treated as a non-recoverable liability on the Consolidated Fund of India.
  • C. A statutory obligation cast on the Centre by Article 46 of the Constitution to release scholarships directly to SC beneficiaries irrespective of State contribution.
  • D. An arrangement whereby the Centre committed to fully reimburse all administrative and overhead costs of States, while States bore only the scholarship amounts paid to students.

Q5. Which one of the following is the nodal Ministry/Department of the Government of India for the 'Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for Scheduled Castes and Others'?

  • A. Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education
  • B. Ministry of Tribal Affairs
  • C. Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • D. Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

Q6. With reference to the 'Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for Scheduled Castes and Others' as implemented by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, consider the following statements distinguishing its two components: 1. Component-I (for SC students) covers students studying in Classes IX and X, whereas Component-II (for children of parents engaged in unclean or hazardous occupations) covers students studying in Classes I to X. 2. Component-I is restricted to students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, whereas Component-II is admissible irrespective of the caste or religion of the beneficiary. 3. Component-I prescribes a parental income ceiling of Rs. 2.5 lakh per annum, whereas Component-II does not prescribe any income ceiling. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Component-I (for SC students) covers students studying in Classes IX and X, whereas Component-II (for children of parents engaged in unclean or hazardous occupations) covers students studying in Classes I to X.
  2. Component-I is restricted to students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, whereas Component-II is admissible irrespective of the caste or religion of the beneficiary.
  3. Component-I prescribes a parental income ceiling of Rs. 2.5 lakh per annum, whereas Component-II does not prescribe any income ceiling.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. Among the scholarship interventions of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment for Scheduled Caste students, which one is the longest-running Centrally Sponsored Scheme, operating at the post-matriculation stage as the flagship vehicle of educational support recently reporting record DBT-based disbursement?

  • A. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs and Others
  • B. Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students (PMS-SC)
  • C. Central Sector Scholarship of Top Class Education for SC Students
  • D. National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for SC Students

Q8. With reference to the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students (PMS-SC), consider the following statements: 1. The parental annual income ceiling for eligibility is ₹2.5 lakh. 2. After the 2020-21 revamp, the Centre:State funding ratio is 60:40 for general States and 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. 3. Disbursement is made through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts of the students. 4. The scheme covers Scheduled Caste students from Class IX onwards through the secondary and higher education stages. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The parental annual income ceiling for eligibility is ₹2.5 lakh.
  2. After the 2020-21 revamp, the Centre:State funding ratio is 60:40 for general States and 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
  3. Disbursement is made through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts of the students.
  4. The scheme covers Scheduled Caste students from Class IX onwards through the secondary and higher education stages.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q9. With reference to scholarship and educational schemes for Scheduled Caste students implemented by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Under Mode-I of the SHRESHTHA scheme, admission to CBSE-affiliated residential schools in Classes IX and XI is made through the National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS) conducted by the National Testing Agency.
  2. Unlike the Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana, the Top Class Education for SC Students scheme is implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on a 60:40 funding pattern between the Centre and the States.
  3. The National Overseas Scholarship for SC candidates earmarks 30% of the awards for female candidates and restricts financial assistance to Masters and Ph.D level courses pursued abroad.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. Under the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme administered by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, how many fresh scholarship slots are earmarked each selection year specifically for Scheduled Caste candidates?

  • A. 60
  • B. 100
  • C. 115
  • D. 125

Q11. By which one of the following Constitutional Amendment Acts was the erstwhile combined National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes bifurcated, leading to the establishment of a separate National Commission for Scheduled Castes under Article 338?

  • A. The Constitution (65th Amendment) Act, 1990
  • B. The Constitution (86th Amendment) Act, 2002
  • C. The Constitution (89th Amendment) Act, 2003
  • D. The Constitution (102nd Amendment) Act, 2018

Q12. With reference to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), consider the following statements regarding its functions under Article 338 of the Constitution: 1. To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes under the Constitution. 2. To participate and advise on the planning process of socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes. 3. To inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of religious minorities. 4. To present an annual report to Parliament on the working of the constitutional safeguards for the Scheduled Castes. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

  1. To investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes under the Constitution.
  2. To participate and advise on the planning process of socio-economic development of the Scheduled Castes.
  3. To inquire into specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of religious minorities.
  4. To present an annual report to Parliament on the working of the constitutional safeguards for the Scheduled Castes.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q13. Which one of the following ministries/departments is responsible for managing the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), the unified digital platform used for processing and disbursing Centrally Sponsored scholarships, including the Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Caste students?

  • A. Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • B. Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education
  • C. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • D. Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance