UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Why is Maharashtra’s Ladki Bahin scheme under scrutiny?

Q1. Which of the following are correctly identified as eligibility conditions for a woman applicant under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana?

  1. The applicant must be a permanent resident of Maharashtra.
  2. The applicant's annual family income must not exceed ₹2.5 lakh.
  3. A family owning a four-wheeler vehicle is disqualified.
  4. Only unmarried women are eligible to receive the benefit.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q2. The finding of ₹3,541.16 crore of excess expenditure over the authorised budget in Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin scheme was reported by which one of the following authorities?

  • A. Comptroller and Auditor General of India
  • B. Public Accounts Committee of the Maharashtra Legislature
  • C. Lokayukta of Maharashtra
  • D. Reserve Bank of India

Q3. The CAG observed that ₹15,586 crore withdrawn between January and March 2025 was parked in 'Virtual Personal Deposit Accounts (VPDAs)'. In this audit context, parking funds in a VPDA signifies which one of the following?

  • A. Funds drawn from the treasury and held in deposit accounts even though there was no immediate requirement to disburse them
  • B. Direct crediting of the funds into beneficiaries' Aadhaar-linked bank accounts
  • C. An interest-bearing fixed deposit opened jointly in the names of eligible women
  • D. Funds surrendered back to the Consolidated Fund of the State at the close of the year

Q4. With reference to the decline in Ladki Bahin beneficiary numbers after verification, which of the following statements are correct?

  1. Peak enrolment reached roughly 2.43 crore beneficiaries.
  2. About 92 lakh (9.2 million) beneficiaries were struck off after verification.
  3. Failure of eKYC accounted for roughly two-thirds of the deletions.
  4. Every beneficiary removed was found to be a man who had enrolled fraudulently.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. Which one of the following state women's cash-transfer schemes, launched in June 2023, is widely regarded as the template that preceded and inspired Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin Yojana?

  • A. Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna Yojana
  • B. Jharkhand's Maiyan Samman Yojana
  • C. Delhi's Mahila Samriddhi Yojana
  • D. Haryana's Lado Laxmi Yojana

Q6. How much per month did Madhya Pradesh's Ladli Behna Yojana pay each eligible woman at the time of its launch in June 2023?

  • A. ₹1,000
  • B. ₹1,250
  • C. ₹1,500
  • D. ₹3,000

Q7. With reference to the fiscal footprint of the Ladki Bahin scheme in Maharashtra's FY2025-26 budget, which of the following statements are correct?

  1. The scheme's provision for FY2025-26 was set at about ₹36,000 crore.
  2. This provision was about ₹10,000 crore lower than the initial ₹46,000 crore estimate.
  3. Maharashtra projected a revenue deficit of about ₹45,891 crore for FY2025-26.
  4. The scheme is funded on a 60:40 Centre-State sharing basis.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q8. In the context of Maharashtra's FY2025-26 budget, which one of the following figures represents the state's projected outstanding debt — described as its highest ever?

  • A. About ₹9.3 lakh crore (₹9.3 trillion)
  • B. About ₹1.36 lakh crore (₹1.36 trillion)
  • C. About ₹45,891 crore
  • D. About ₹7.2 lakh crore (₹7.2 trillion)

Q9. With reference to the constitutional provisions governing the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, which one of the following statements is NOT correct?

  1. Article 148 provides for the appointment of the CAG by the President of India.
  2. Under Article 151, the CAG's reports on a State's accounts are submitted to the Governor, who lays them before the State Legislature.
  3. Under Article 150, the accounts of the Union and the States are kept in a form prescribed by the President on the advice of the CAG.
  4. Article 149 empowers the CAG to disallow and surcharge unlawful expenditure incurred by State governments.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 4 only

Q10. Under India's Direct Benefit Transfer architecture, a benefit such as the Ladki Bahin stipend is credited only into a bank account that has been seeded with which single identifier for authentication?

  • A. Aadhaar number
  • B. Permanent Account Number (PAN)
  • C. Voter Identity Card number
  • D. Ration card number