Social Justice MCQs for UPSC Prelims — February 2026

Q1. With reference to India's malaria situation between the 2015 baseline and 2023, consider the following statements: 1. India recorded over an 80% reduction in malaria cases between 2015 and 2023. 2. The number of States/UTs in Category 3 (high burden) fell from ten in 2015 to only two in 2023. 3. India was the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to exit the High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group, doing so in 2024. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. India recorded over an 80% reduction in malaria cases between 2015 and 2023.
  2. The number of States/UTs in Category 3 (high burden) fell from ten in 2015 to only two in 2023.
  3. India was the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to exit the High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) group, doing so in 2024.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. As per official data cited on World Malaria Day 2025, how many States/UTs in India remained classified as 'high burden' (Category 3) for malaria in 2023?

  • A. 1
  • B. 2
  • C. 5
  • D. 10

Q3. India's currently operational National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination, which guides the push for zero indigenous cases, covers which one of the following periods?

  • A. 2016–2030
  • B. 2017–2022
  • C. 2023–2027
  • D. 2025–2030

Q4. Which one of the following organisations was the principal organiser of the International Malaria Conference (IMC) 2026 held in New Delhi?

  • A. National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC)
  • B. ICMR–National Institute of Malaria Research (ICMR–NIMR)
  • C. National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
  • D. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi

Q5. With reference to the Union Budget 2026-27 vis-à-vis Budget 2025-26 for the AYUSH sector, consider the following statements: 1. The total allocation to the Ministry of AYUSH rose by about 20% in 2026-27 over 2025-26. 2. The allocation to the National AYUSH Mission more than doubled in 2026-27 over 2025-26. 3. The Budget 2026-27 announced the establishment, for the first time, of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine at Jamnagar. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The total allocation to the Ministry of AYUSH rose by about 20% in 2026-27 over 2025-26.
  2. The allocation to the National AYUSH Mission more than doubled in 2026-27 over 2025-26.
  3. The Budget 2026-27 announced the establishment, for the first time, of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine at Jamnagar.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. Within the Ministry of AYUSH's allocations in the Union Budget 2026-27, which one of the following received the largest year-on-year percentage hike?

  • A. National AYUSH Mission
  • B. Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)
  • C. Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIMH)
  • D. Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga

Q7. How many new All India Institutes of Ayurveda (AIIA) were announced for establishment in the Union Budget 2026-27?

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

Q8. In the Union Budget 2026-27, which one of the following is identified as the principal flagship scheme driving the enhanced allocation of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs?

  • A. Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)
  • B. Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA)
  • C. Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)
  • D. Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY)

Q9. Which one of the following is the nodal ministry for operationalising the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), a major scheme driving the enhanced outlay in the Union Budget 2026-27?

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

Q10. With reference to the Union Budget 2026-27, consider the following pairings of schemes with their implementing ministry/department: 1. SEED (Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs) — Department of Social Justice and Empowerment 2. Eklavya Model Residential Schools — Ministry of Tribal Affairs 3. PM-YASASVI scholarship — Ministry of Tribal Affairs 4. Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana — Department of Social Justice and Empowerment Which of the above are correctly identified?

  1. SEED (Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs) — Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
  2. Eklavya Model Residential Schools — Ministry of Tribal Affairs
  3. PM-YASASVI scholarship — Ministry of Tribal Affairs
  4. Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana — Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4 only

Q11. What is the Budget Estimate (BE) allocation for the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the Union Budget 2026-27?

  • A. ₹13,687.59 crore
  • B. ₹14,925.81 crore
  • C. ₹15,421.97 crore
  • D. ₹16,704.32 crore
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