Economic and Social Development

Meena wants to show diagrammatically how two sets of data, namely, population size and number of services are related to each other. Which one of the following will be the most suitable for the presentation?

[amp_mcq option1=”Pie chart” option2=”Scatter graph” option3=”Bar chart” option4=”Triangular graph” correct=”option2″]

A scatter graph (or scatter plot) is the most suitable type of diagram for showing the relationship between two sets of numerical data. It plots data points on a two-dimensional plane, with one variable on the x-axis and the other on the y-axis. This allows visualization of the pattern or correlation between the two variables, such as how population size relates to the number of services available.

– Scatter graphs are used to display the relationship between two quantitative variables.
– Other chart types like pie charts, bar charts, and triangular graphs are suitable for different purposes (proportions, comparison of categories, ternary data respectively), but not for showing the correlation between two variable sets directly in this manner.

In a scatter graph, the dependent variable is typically plotted on the y-axis and the independent variable on the x-axis. The pattern of the scattered points indicates the nature of the relationship (e.g., positive correlation, negative correlation, no correlation).

According to the National Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) constructed by the NITI Aayog, a household is considered deprived if

• 1. a single member of the household is identified as under-nourished
• 2. the body mass index of a woman member, between 15 years and 49 years of age, is below 18.5 kg/m²

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option3″]

According to the NITI Aayog’s National Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) methodology, which is based on the global MPI framework, a household is considered deprived in the ‘Nutrition’ indicator if:
– Any child aged 0 to 59 months, or any woman aged 15 to 49 years, or any man aged 15 to 54 years for whom nutritional information is available, is undernourished.
– Undernourishment is defined for adults (15-49 years for women, 15-54 years for men) as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) below 18.5 kg/m². For children (0-59 months), it is based on z-scores for height-for-age, weight-for-age, or weight-for-height.
Statement 1 says “a single member of the household is identified as under-nourished”. This aligns with the criterion that if *any* specified member is undernourished, the household is deprived on this indicator.
Statement 2 says “the body mass index of a woman member, between 15 years and 49 years of age, is below 18.5 kg/m²”. This is the specific definition of undernourishment for a woman in this age group, which makes the household deprived on the nutrition indicator.
Both statements describe conditions that would lead to a household being considered deprived on the nutrition indicator as part of the MPI calculation. Therefore, both statements are correct.

– The National MPI includes Nutrition as one of the indicators under the Health dimension.
– Deprivation in Nutrition is determined based on the nutritional status of specified members of the household.
– Undernourishment for adults (including women aged 15-49) is defined by a BMI below 18.5 kg/m².

– The National MPI uses 12 indicators across 3 dimensions: Health (Nutrition, Child & Adolescent Mortality), Education (Years of Schooling, School Attendance), and Standard of Living (Cooking Fuel, Sanitation, Drinking Water, Electricity, Housing, Assets, Bank Account).
– A household is considered multidimensionally poor if its deprivation score is 33.3% or more.

Which one among the following is not a part of the SWAYAM programme?

[amp_mcq option1=”Video lectures” option2=”Classroom lectures” option3=”Online discussion forum for clearing doubts” option4=”Specially prepared material that can be downloaded/printed” correct=”option2″]

Classroom lectures are not a part of the standard delivery model of the SWAYAM programme, which is an online platform.

SWAYAM utilizes a four-quadrant approach for online learning, which includes video lectures (e-tutorial), specially prepared reading material (e-content), online discussion forums, and assessment.

SWAYAM stands for Study Webs of Active–Learning for Young Aspiring Minds. It aims to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy.

Which of the following is/are the objective/objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)?

• 1. Correcting regional imbalances in the availability of tertiary health care services
• 2. Providing universal access to public health services and universal immunization
• 3. Augmenting facilities for quality medical education in the country

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1 and 3 only” option2=”2 and 3 only” option3=”1 only” option4=”1, 2 and 3″ correct=”option1″]

The objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) are correcting regional imbalances in the availability of tertiary healthcare services and augmenting facilities for quality medical education.

PMSSY aims to strengthen the tertiary healthcare infrastructure and improve medical education in the country, primarily through setting up AIIMS-like institutions and upgrading existing government medical colleges.

Objective 2 (Providing universal access to public health services and universal immunization) is a broader goal of public health initiatives and schemes like the National Health Mission (NHM) and the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), not the specific mandate of PMSSY.

The unemployment that occurs due to changes in the technology or in the demand for particular products is called

[amp_mcq option1=”frictional unemployment” option2=”structural unemployment” option3=”cyclical unemployment” option4=”disguised unemployment” correct=”option2″]

Unemployment that arises due to changes in the structure of the economy, such as technological advancements or shifts in industry demand, is called structural unemployment.

Structural unemployment occurs when there is a mismatch between the skills workers possess and the skills required by the jobs available in the market.

Frictional unemployment is short-term unemployment that occurs when people are transitioning between jobs. Cyclical unemployment is tied to economic downturns (recessions). Disguised unemployment is a situation where more people are employed than are necessary to perform the job efficiently.

Which one of the following indicators is included in the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)?

[amp_mcq option1=”Years of schooling” option2=”Literacy rate” option3=”Life expectancy” option4=”Per capita income” correct=”option1″]

Years of schooling is one of the indicators included in the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).

The MPI measures poverty based on deprivations across three dimensions: Health, Education, and Living Standards. Years of schooling falls under the Education dimension.

The other indicators in the education dimension of MPI are school attendance. Other dimensions and indicators include Health (Nutrition, Child Mortality) and Living Standards (Cooking fuel, Sanitation, Drinking water, Electricity, Housing, Assets). Literacy rate and Life expectancy are indicators used in other indices like the Human Development Index (HDI).

Which one of the following is a measure that can be used by the Government for combating inflation?

[amp_mcq option1=”Increasing the non-planned expenditure on defence, police, etc.” option2=”Providing more subsidies on exports” option3=”Increasing the rate of interest on savings and fixed deposits” option4=”Reduction in the cash reserve ratio (CRR)” correct=”option3″]

Increasing the rate of interest on savings and fixed deposits (implying a general increase in interest rates) is a monetary policy measure used to combat inflation.

Raising interest rates makes borrowing more expensive and encourages saving, thereby reducing aggregate demand and curbing inflation.

Measures to combat inflation include contractionary monetary policy (like increasing repo rate, reverse repo rate, CRR, SLR) and contractionary fiscal policy (like reducing government expenditure or increasing taxes). Options A, B, and D would generally tend to increase aggregate demand or reduce supply, potentially worsening inflation.

Which one of the following States/UTs is not among the top five in the Performance Grading Index (PGI), published by the Ministry of Education for the year 2020-2021?

[amp_mcq option1=”Kerala” option2=”Punjab” option3=”NCT of Delhi” option4=”Chandigarh” correct=”option3″]

For the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2020-2021 published by the Ministry of Education, NCT of Delhi was not among the states/UTs that achieved the highest performance grade (‘Utkarsh’).

– The PGI 2020-21 assessed the performance of the school education system at the State/UT level.
– States/UTs are graded based on their scores across various indicators. The highest grade is ‘Daksh’ (901-1000 points), followed by ‘Utkarsh’ (811-900 points), ‘Ati Uttam’ (751-810 points), etc.
– For PGI 2020-21, no state/UT achieved the ‘Daksh’ grade. Seven states/UTs were in the ‘Utkarsh’ grade: Kerala, Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
– NCT of Delhi was placed in the ‘Ati Uttam’ grade with a score of 759.
– Since there were seven entities in the top grade ‘Utkarsh’, these collectively represent the top performers. Delhi, being in the next grade, is not among this top group.

The Performance Grading Index evaluates states and UTs on 73 indicators grouped under 6 domains: Outcomes, Effective Classroom Transaction, Infrastructure, School Safety & Child Protection, Digital Learning, and Governance Processes. The index aims to help states/UTs identify areas for improvement and implement policy interventions.

Which of the following strategies is/are adopted for implementing the POSHAN Abhiyaan?

• 1. Inter-sectoral convergence for better service delivery
• 2. Use of technology (ICT) for real-time growth monitoring of women and children

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option3″]

Both inter-sectoral convergence and the use of technology (ICT) for real-time monitoring are fundamental strategies adopted for implementing the POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission).

– POSHAN Abhiyaan is the Government of India’s flagship program to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
– Strategy 1: Inter-sectoral convergence is crucial because addressing malnutrition requires the coordinated efforts of multiple sectors including Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Education, etc.
– Strategy 2: The mission heavily relies on technology. An ICT application (ICDS-CAS – Common Application Software) is used by Anganwadi Workers for real-time growth monitoring of children, tracking service delivery, and prompt interventions. This ensures data accuracy and efficiency.

– Other key strategies of POSHAN Abhiyaan include behavioral change communication (BCC), community mobilization, capacity building of frontline workers, and incentive-based awards for states/UTs and frontline workers.
– The mission aims to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia, and low birth weight among children, and also focuses on anemia among women and adolescent girls.

Which of the following is/are the sub-mission/sub-missions of the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM)?

• 1. Institutional training
• 2. Overseas employment
• 3. Leveraging of public infrastructure

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”1, 2 and 3″ option4=”2 and 3 only” correct=”option3″]

All three listed points – Institutional training, Overseas employment, and Leveraging of public infrastructure – are related to the goals and activities covered under the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM). While ‘Leveraging of public infrastructure’ may not be the exact name of a sub-mission, it is a core strategy integrated within the Infrastructure and Convergence sub-missions. The listed sub-missions are Institutional Training and Overseas Employment, among others. Therefore, points 1 and 2 are explicit sub-missions, and point 3 is a fundamental approach within the mission’s framework.

– The National Skill Development Mission, launched in 2015, aims to create convergence across sectors and States in terms of skill training activities.
– The mission has seven sub-missions designed to achieve its objectives:
1. Institutional Training
2. Infrastructure
3. Convergence
4. Trainers
5. Overseas Employment
6. Sustainable Livelihoods
7. Counselling and Skill Development

– The Infrastructure sub-mission focuses on building and leveraging quality infrastructure for skill development.
– The Convergence sub-mission aims at consolidating and coordinating skill development efforts across various Central Ministries, State Governments, and the private sector, which includes leveraging existing public and private resources and infrastructure.
– The Institutional Training sub-mission focuses on improving the quality and capacity of existing training institutions.
– The Overseas Employment sub-mission focuses on facilitating skill development for overseas job opportunities.