Social Justice MCQs for UPSC Prelims — July 2026

Q1. Consider the following statements about India's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) across successive Sample Registration System rounds: 1. MMR declined from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 93 in 2019-21, and further to 87 in 2022-24. 2. India's national MMR now stands below the Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 target of 70 per lakh live births, although several States continue to record levels above that target. 3. Kerala records the lowest MMR among Indian States, and eight States have already attained the Sustainable Development Goal maternal mortality target. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. MMR declined from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 93 in 2019-21, and further to 87 in 2022-24.
  2. India's national MMR now stands below the Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 target of 70 per lakh live births, although several States continue to record levels above that target.
  3. Kerala records the lowest MMR among Indian States, and eight States have already attained the Sustainable Development Goal maternal mortality target.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) is best described as an initiative that:

  • A. certifies the quality of care in labour rooms and maternity operation theatres of public health facilities
  • B. assures free, dignified and quality care with zero tolerance for denial of services to any woman or newborn at a public health facility
  • C. guarantees a cash maternity benefit to every pregnant woman in the country irrespective of parity or income
  • D. provides fixed-day free antenatal check-ups on the 9th of every month at designated government facilities

Q3. Consider the following maternal-health indicators and the values attributed to NFHS-6 (2023-24) in the recent official updates: 1. Mothers receiving antenatal care in the first trimester — 76.2 per cent 2. Mothers receiving at least four antenatal care visits — 65.2 per cent 3. Institutional deliveries — 90.6 per cent 4. Maternal Mortality Ratio for 2022-24 — 87 per lakh live births, as estimated by NFHS-6 Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?

  1. Mothers receiving antenatal care in the first trimester — 76.2 per cent
  2. Mothers receiving at least four antenatal care visits — 65.2 per cent
  3. Institutional deliveries — 90.6 per cent
  4. Maternal Mortality Ratio for 2022-24 — 87 per lakh live births, as estimated by NFHS-6
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q4. The National Family Health Survey-6 (2023-24), whose maternal-health findings were cited in the 2026 PMSMA update, was carried out by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with which body as nodal agency?

  • A. The National Statistical Office under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
  • B. The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India
  • C. The National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi
  • D. The International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai

Q5. Consider the following statements about PMSMA at its ten-year mark in 2026: 1. Cumulative coverage crossed the one-crore mark within about two years of launch and had risen to more than 7.50 crore pregnant women receiving antenatal services by the decade update. 2. Over the same decade, India's Maternal Mortality Ratio fell from 130 per lakh live births in SRS 2014-16 to 87 in SRS 2022-24, a decline of 43 points. 3. The decade update records that India has, at the national level, attained the Sustainable Development Goal maternal mortality target of below 70 per lakh live births. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Cumulative coverage crossed the one-crore mark within about two years of launch and had risen to more than 7.50 crore pregnant women receiving antenatal services by the decade update.
  2. Over the same decade, India's Maternal Mortality Ratio fell from 130 per lakh live births in SRS 2014-16 to 87 in SRS 2022-24, a decline of 43 points.
  3. The decade update records that India has, at the national level, attained the Sustainable Development Goal maternal mortality target of below 70 per lakh live births.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. As reported in the 2026 decade-milestone update, quality antenatal care under PMSMA is now being extended nationwide through which of the following primary-care platforms?

  • A. Around 25,000 designated First Referral Units
  • B. The 90,015 notified SUMAN health facilities
  • C. Around 1.6 lakh Common Service Centres
  • D. About 1.8 lakh Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs

Q7. Consider the following statements about the identification of high-risk pregnancies under PMSMA: 1. Severe anaemia is among the conditions in the expanded high-risk pregnancy list. 2. Tuberculosis is among the conditions in the expanded high-risk pregnancy list. 3. Multiple pregnancy is among the conditions in the expanded high-risk pregnancy list. 4. A woman identified as high-risk is tagged to the nearest Ayushman Aarogya Mandir for her delivery. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Severe anaemia is among the conditions in the expanded high-risk pregnancy list.
  2. Tuberculosis is among the conditions in the expanded high-risk pregnancy list.
  3. Multiple pregnancy is among the conditions in the expanded high-risk pregnancy list.
  4. A woman identified as high-risk is tagged to the nearest Ayushman Aarogya Mandir for her delivery.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q8. Under PMSMA, the primary record on which a woman screened as having a high-risk pregnancy is flagged for continued follow-up is:

  • A. A red entry made in the facility's labour room register maintained under LaQshya
  • B. A red sticker affixed on her Mother and Child Protection Card
  • C. A red-coded referral card issued to her at the nearest First Referral Unit
  • D. A red flag placed on her Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) record

Q9. The flagship national awards instituted to recognise the outstanding contribution of volunteering private doctors and of States to the fixed-day antenatal care campaign are known as:

  • A. The Kayakalp Awards for cleanliness and infection control in public health facilities
  • B. The National Florence Nightingale Awards for outstanding nursing personnel
  • C. The 'IPledgeFor9' Achievers Awards
  • D. The LaQshya National Quality Certification awards for labour rooms

Q10. Consider the following statements about the fixed-day model of PMSMA: 1. The 9th of every month was chosen as the fixed day because it symbolises the nine months of pregnancy. 2. Where the 9th falls on a holiday, the PMSMA session is shifted to the next working day. 3. Private medical practitioners who volunteer under PMSMA are required to render the free services at their own clinics rather than at government health facilities. 4. A private practitioner may enrol as a PMSMA volunteer by sending an SMS reading 'PMSMA' to 5616115 or by registering on the PMSMA portal. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The 9th of every month was chosen as the fixed day because it symbolises the nine months of pregnancy.
  2. Where the 9th falls on a holiday, the PMSMA session is shifted to the next working day.
  3. Private medical practitioners who volunteer under PMSMA are required to render the free services at their own clinics rather than at government health facilities.
  4. A private practitioner may enrol as a PMSMA volunteer by sending an SMS reading 'PMSMA' to 5616115 or by registering on the PMSMA portal.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q11. Consider the following statements comparing the original PMSMA design with the Extended PMSMA strategy: 1. Extended PMSMA, introduced in January 2022, provides for individual tracking of each identified high-risk pregnancy with additional antenatal check-ups and continuous monitoring until safe delivery, going beyond the original single fixed-day monthly examination. 2. Extended PMSMA introduced financial incentives for identified high-risk beneficiaries as well as for ASHAs, which the original PMSMA design did not provide. 3. Extended PMSMA discontinued the fixed-day model, shifting PMSMA examinations to any working day of the month at the discretion of the facility. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Extended PMSMA, introduced in January 2022, provides for individual tracking of each identified high-risk pregnancy with additional antenatal check-ups and continuous monitoring until safe delivery, going beyond the original single fixed-day monthly examination.
  2. Extended PMSMA introduced financial incentives for identified high-risk beneficiaries as well as for ASHAs, which the original PMSMA design did not provide.
  3. Extended PMSMA discontinued the fixed-day model, shifting PMSMA examinations to any working day of the month at the discretion of the facility.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. Consider the following statements about the institutional design of the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA): 1. Its nodal ministry is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 2. It is implemented as a component of the National Health Mission. 3. It forms part of the Continuum of Care approach under the RMNCH+A strategy. 4. Under it, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare disburses a cash maternity benefit of ₹5,000 in instalments to every enrolled beneficiary. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Its nodal ministry is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  2. It is implemented as a component of the National Health Mission.
  3. It forms part of the Continuum of Care approach under the RMNCH+A strategy.
  4. Under it, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare disburses a cash maternity benefit of ₹5,000 in instalments to every enrolled beneficiary.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4

Q13. With reference to the global burden of viral hepatitis as reported by the World Health Organization for the year 2024, consider the following: 1. Hepatitis B and C together accounted for about 1.34 million deaths. 2. About 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C. 3. Hepatitis C accounted for the larger share of these deaths, at about 1.1 million. 4. New hepatitis B infections had declined by about 32 per cent compared with 2015. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Hepatitis B and C together accounted for about 1.34 million deaths.
  2. About 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C.
  3. Hepatitis C accounted for the larger share of these deaths, at about 1.1 million.
  4. New hepatitis B infections had declined by about 32 per cent compared with 2015.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 2, 3 and 4

Q14. In India, the operational guidelines and training modules for the prevention and management of fatty liver disease have been mainstreamed through which one of the following?

  • A. The National AYUSH Mission, implemented by the Ministry of AYUSH
  • B. POSHAN Abhiyaan, implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • C. The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke, implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • D. The National Biopharma Mission, implemented by the Department of Biotechnology

Q15. In India, the programme under which people screened for hepatitis B and C receive free diagnostics — including liver function testing — and free drugs is operationalised by which one of the following?

  • A. The Indian Council of Medical Research, which is the sole approving authority for all diagnostic laboratories in the country
  • B. The National Health Mission of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • C. The National Health Authority, which exclusively operates every public health laboratory in the States and Union Territories
  • D. The Department of Biotechnology, which is the only agency permitted to procure diagnostic kits for all State governments

Q16. In ILO statistical usage, 'employment in the informal sector' is distinguished from 'informal employment' in that the former is:

  • A. An enterprise-based concept, covering jobs located in unincorporated enterprises that are unregistered or fall below a size threshold
  • B. A job-based concept, covering any job that lacks social protection or employment benefits, whatever the enterprise
  • C. A residence-based concept, covering workers in rural areas engaged outside registered establishments
  • D. An income-based concept, covering workers whose earnings fall below the statutory national minimum wage

Q17. According to ILO global estimates, which one of the following economic sectors records the highest level of informal employment worldwide?

  • A. Construction, where informality is estimated at more than 90 per cent
  • B. Wholesale and retail trade, where informality is estimated at about 50 per cent
  • C. Domestic work, where informality is estimated at about 68 per cent
  • D. Agriculture, where informality is estimated at more than 90 per cent

Q18. According to the ILO's third-edition global estimates on the informal economy, how many people worldwide make their living in the informal economy, and what proportion of the world's employed population do they constitute?

  • A. About 3 billion, roughly 75 per cent of global employment
  • B. About 2 billion, roughly 61 per cent of global employment
  • C. About 1.5 billion, roughly 45 per cent of global employment
  • D. About 1 billion, roughly 40 per cent of global employment

Q19. With reference to the International Labour Organization's global estimates of informal employment published in its 'Women and Men in the Informal Economy: A Statistical Picture (Third edition)', consider the following statements: 1. Africa records a higher share of informal employment in total employment than Asia and the Pacific. 2. Globally, the share of employed men in informal employment exceeds the corresponding share of employed women. 3. When agriculture is excluded, the share of informal employment in global employment falls below one-third. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Africa records a higher share of informal employment in total employment than Asia and the Pacific.
  2. Globally, the share of employed men in informal employment exceeds the corresponding share of employed women.
  3. When agriculture is excluded, the share of informal employment in global employment falls below one-third.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q20. With reference to the PM SHRI Schools scheme, consider the following: 1. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2022 for strengthening more than 14,500 existing schools. 2. Schools managed by the Central Government, State/UT Governments or local self-government bodies, and possessing a UDISE+ code, are eligible for selection. 3. States and Union Territories are required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding committing themselves to implementing NEP 2020 before their schools can be selected. 4. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with a total project cost of Rs 27,360 crore. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2022 for strengthening more than 14,500 existing schools.
  2. Schools managed by the Central Government, State/UT Governments or local self-government bodies, and possessing a UDISE+ code, are eligible for selection.
  3. States and Union Territories are required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding committing themselves to implementing NEP 2020 before their schools can be selected.
  4. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with a total project cost of Rs 27,360 crore.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q21. The curricular and pedagogical structure adopted by NEP 2020, and elaborated in the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, divides the whole of schooling into how many stages?

  • A. Four stages, replacing the earlier 10+2 arrangement of schooling
  • B. Three stages, all of which are of exactly equal duration in years
  • C. Five stages, covering the entire span of schooling within formal schools only
  • D. Two stages, corresponding precisely to the earlier 10+2 arrangement

Q22. NEP 2020 proposed a single umbrella body for higher education operating through four independent verticals. The vertical entrusted with the disbursal of finances to higher educational institutions was to be which one of the following?

  • A. The Higher Education Grants Council
  • B. The National Higher Education Regulatory Council
  • C. The National Accreditation Council
  • D. The General Education Council

Q23. Consider the following statements comparing the National Education Policy, 2020 with the policy framework it superseded: 1. NEP 2020 replaced the National Policy on Education, 1986, which had been in force for over three decades. 2. NEP 2020 replaces the 10+2 curricular and pedagogical arrangement of schooling with a 5+3+3+4 design. 3. NEP 2020 lowers the higher-education Gross Enrolment Ratio target to 26.3 per cent, to be attained by 2035, from the 50 per cent target of the earlier policy. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. NEP 2020 replaced the National Policy on Education, 1986, which had been in force for over three decades.
  2. NEP 2020 replaces the 10+2 curricular and pedagogical arrangement of schooling with a 5+3+3+4 design.
  3. NEP 2020 lowers the higher-education Gross Enrolment Ratio target to 26.3 per cent, to be attained by 2035, from the 50 per cent target of the earlier policy.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q24. Consider the following statements about the 2026 Ken-Betwa protests at Kupi village: 1. The protestors were predominantly tribal families from the Panna and Chhatarpur districts. 2. Amit Bhatnagar suspended his fast in July 2026 after an assurance of fresh verification of families excluded from rehabilitation. 3. The protest site was located on the banks of the Barana river stream. 4. Amit Bhatnagar is the founder of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The protestors were predominantly tribal families from the Panna and Chhatarpur districts.
  2. Amit Bhatnagar suspended his fast in July 2026 after an assurance of fresh verification of families excluded from rehabilitation.
  3. The protest site was located on the banks of the Barana river stream.
  4. Amit Bhatnagar is the founder of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan.
  • A. 2 and 4 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q25. Which one of the following statements about the July 2026 protests against the Ken-Betwa Link Project at Kupi village is correct?

  • A. The protestors demanded the complete and permanent scrapping of the entire river-interlinking programme across India.
  • B. The protest was led by Amit Bhatnagar of the Jai Kisan Sangathan, who undertook an indefinite hunger strike.
  • C. The agitation was called off only after the government agreed to relocate the Panna Tiger Reserve.
  • D. All the affected families had unanimously accepted the rehabilitation package before the protest began.

Q26. According to the UNFPA India Ageing Report 2023, the share of the population aged 60 and above in India is projected to reach approximately what percentage by 2050?

  • A. About 20.8 per cent
  • B. About 10.8 per cent
  • C. About 15 per cent
  • D. About 25 per cent

Q27. With reference to the parliamentary disclosure of the medical seat expansion, consider the following institutional identifications: 1. The underlying seat and registration data was sourced from the National Medical Commission. 2. The nodal ministry for the disclosure is the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. 3. The information was conveyed through a written reply in the Lok Sabha. 4. The underlying data was sourced from the NITI Aayog. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The underlying seat and registration data was sourced from the National Medical Commission.
  2. The nodal ministry for the disclosure is the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
  3. The information was conveyed through a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
  4. The underlying data was sourced from the NITI Aayog.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q28. Consider the following statements about the Cabinet-approved Phase-III Centrally Sponsored Scheme (2025-26 to 2028-29) for medical education: 1. It aims to add roughly 10,000 UG and PG seats by strengthening existing government medical colleges. 2. Its total outlay is of the order of Rs 15,000 crore. 3. Unlike the earlier scheme that built new colleges attached to district hospitals, this scheme funds only private medical colleges. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It aims to add roughly 10,000 UG and PG seats by strengthening existing government medical colleges.
  2. Its total outlay is of the order of Rs 15,000 crore.
  3. Unlike the earlier scheme that built new colleges attached to district hospitals, this scheme funds only private medical colleges.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q29. The statutory body that regulates undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and reports the multi-year seat-expansion data was established under which of the following statutes?

  • A. The Indian Medical Council Act, 1956
  • B. The National Medical Commission Act, 2019
  • C. The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010
  • D. The Indian Medical Degrees Act, 1916

Q30. According to the reported multi-year trend, how many additional MBBS seats were added in the country between AY 2020-21 and AY 2025-26?

  • A. 29,080 seats
  • B. 19,861 seats
  • C. 48,563 seats
  • D. 55,175 seats