UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — GeM Marks Seven Years of Womaniya Initiative to Strengthen Women-Led MSE Participation in Public Procurement

Q1. With reference to the Womaniya initiative and the platform that hosts it, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Womaniya was launched on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in January 2019, whereas the GeM portal itself was operationalised in 2016.
  2. GeM is set up as a Special Purpose Vehicle registered as a Section 8 (not-for-profit) company.
  3. Womaniya was launched under the administrative control of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. The Government e-Marketplace (GeM), which administers the Womaniya initiative, is set up as a 'Section 8 company'. Which one of the following best describes a Section 8 company?

  • A. A not-for-profit company formed to promote commerce, art or other useful objects, that applies its profits to promoting its objects and prohibits payment of dividends to members
  • B. A private company enjoying exemptions on account of having fewer than fifty members
  • C. A public sector undertaking wholly owned by the State Governments
  • D. A statutory corporation created by a special Act of Parliament

Q3. Under the Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises Order, 2012 (as amended), the '3 per cent sub-target' relevant to the Womaniya initiative refers to:

  • A. 3% of annual procurement by Central Ministries/Departments/CPSEs to be sourced from women-owned MSEs, within the overall 25% MSE procurement target
  • B. 3% of the total value of GeM orders to be reserved exclusively for Self-Help Groups
  • C. A 3% purchase-preference margin extended to women-owned enterprises over competing bidders
  • D. 3% of all GeM seller registrations to be mandatorily held by women entrepreneurs

Q4. With reference to the Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises Order, 2012 (as amended in 2018), consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The overall annual procurement target from MSEs by Central Ministries/Departments/CPSEs is 25%.
  2. Within this, 4% is earmarked for MSEs owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs.
  3. Within this, 3% is earmarked for MSEs owned by women entrepreneurs.
  4. The policy was issued in pursuance of Section 11 of the Companies Act, 2013.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q5. At the seven-year milestone of Womaniya (January 2026), women-led MSEs were reported to account for a '4.7 per cent share'. This figure denotes their share of:

  • A. The total order value transacted on the GeM portal
  • B. The total number of sellers registered on GeM
  • C. India's total public procurement across all platforms
  • D. The overall MSME contribution to national GDP

Q6. With reference to the seven-year (January 2026) milestone of the Womaniya initiative, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. More than two lakh women-led MSEs were registered on GeM under Womaniya.
  2. The cumulative value of orders secured by these women-led MSEs had crossed ₹80,000 crore.
  3. The 4.7% share of women-led MSEs in GeM order value fell short of the 3% procurement target mandated for women-owned MSEs.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. The 2025 Memorandum of Understanding with UN Women to promote gender-responsive public procurement was signed by the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), which functions under which one of the following?

  • A. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
  • C. Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • D. Ministry of Finance

Q8. With reference to the 2025 GeM–UN Women Memorandum of Understanding, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It aims to promote gender-responsive procurement by increasing sourcing from women-led businesses.
  2. It explicitly links its objectives to Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality.
  3. Under it, UN Women assumes responsibility for administering India's mandatory 3% procurement set-aside for women-owned MSEs.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. The Government e-Marketplace (GeM), launched in 2016 as the national public procurement portal, functions under the administrative control of which one of the following?

  • A. The Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • C. The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance
  • D. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Q10. Under the revised classification of enterprises that took effect on 1 April 2025 — which defines the 'MSE' in the Womaniya initiative — enterprises are classified, on the basis of composite investment and turnover criteria, into how many categories?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q11. With reference to Womaniya and related women-focused initiatives, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Womaniya operates on GeM to link women-led MSEs with government buyers, whereas Stand-Up India facilitates bank loans between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore for greenfield enterprises.
  2. Mahila e-Haat is an online marketing platform for women entrepreneurs launched under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  3. Stand-Up India was launched on the GeM portal in 2019 as a sister initiative of Womaniya.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3