UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — ₹53,428 cr. cleared for social assistance scheme till 2030-31

Q1. With reference to Article 41 of the Constitution of India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It requires the State to provide public assistance in old age and disablement irrespective of the State's economic capacity.
  2. Its scope extends to unemployment and other cases of undeserved want, and is not limited to old age, sickness and disablement.
  3. Although it cannot be enforced by any court, the Constitution makes it the duty of the State to apply the principle it contains in making laws.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q2. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A person who satisfies every eligibility condition in the National Social Assistance Programme guidelines, but is left out because the State's beneficiary ceiling has been reached, cannot obtain a court order compelling payment of the pension on the strength of Article 41 alone.
  2. Article 41 is a provision of Part IV of the Constitution, and the provisions of Part IV are not enforceable by any court.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q3. Consider two welfare programmes. Programme A is created by an Act of Parliament that confers on every eligible person a legal right to the benefit. Programme B is an executive scheme whose guidelines fix a ceiling on the number of beneficiaries in each State. Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Under Programme B, the number of persons covered can remain unchanged even when the number of eligible persons rises.
  2. Under Programme A, an eligible person denied the benefit can seek a legal remedy, because the entitlement flows from the statute and not merely from scheme guidelines.
  3. Under Programme A, total expenditure is driven mainly by the number of eligible claimants rather than by a pre-fixed allocation.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q4. Suppose the central rate of a social pension is kept unchanged in rupee terms for several years while consumer prices rise steadily, and the total outlay for the scheme is fixed for a five-year period. Consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The purchasing power of each pension falls even though its nominal amount stays the same.
  2. If the number of eligible elderly persons grows during the five years, either the real value of each pension or the share of eligible persons covered must fall.
  3. Indexing the pension to the Consumer Price Index would keep its nominal value constant while raising its real value.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q5. In the context of identifying beneficiaries for welfare schemes, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. An inclusion error occurs when a household that does not meet the eligibility criteria receives the benefit.
  2. Widening a scheme's eligibility criteria while keeping its fixed beneficiary ceiling unchanged reduces the number of eligible persons who are left out.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. Both 1 and 2
  • D. Neither 1 nor 2