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Prelims 2023 paper

UPSC CSE Prelims 2023 · GS Paper I · Question 74 · Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sector

निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2023, General Studies Paper I, Question 74 — Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sector.

निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

  1. 1.स्वयं-सहायता समूह [सेल्फ-हेल्प ग्रुप (एस॰ एच॰ जी॰)] कार्यक्रम मूलतः भारतीय स्टेट बैंक द्वारा वित्तीय रूप से वंचितों को लघु ऋण प्रदान कर प्रारंभ किया गया था।
  2. 2.किसी एस॰ एच॰ जी॰ में, समूह के सभी सदस्य उस ऋण के लिए उत्तरदायित्व लेते हैं, जो ऋण कोई अकेला सदस्य लेता है।
  3. 3.क्षेत्रीय ग्रामीण बैंक और अनुसूचित वाणिज्यिक बैंक एस॰ एच॰ जी॰ को समर्थन देते हैं।

उपर्युक्त में से कितने कथन सही हैं?

Read this question in English

Consider the following statements:

1. The Self-Help Group (SHG) programme was originally initiated by the State Bank of India by providing microcredit to the financially deprived.

2. In an SHG, all members of a group take responsibility for a loan that an individual member takes.

3. The Regional Rural Banks and Scheduled Commercial Banks support SHGs.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one · (b) Only two · (c) All three · (d) None

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (b) केवल दो

Only statements 2 and 3 are correct. The SHG-Bank Linkage Programme was started by NABARD, not the State Bank of India, but in an SHG the group as a whole stands behind each member's loan, and banks lend to and refinance SHGs.

  • ✗ 1. NABARD launched the SHG-Bank Linkage pilot in 1992-93, linking about 500 SHGs to banks. The State Bank of India did not initiate the programme.
  • ✓ 2. The group decides on loans and is responsible for repayment, and other members follow up seriously if any one member does not repay; this collective responsibility is why banks lend to poor households without collateral.
  • ✓ 3. Banks finance SHGs with 100% refinance support from NABARD, and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) are among the rural financial institutions that promote and link SHGs to credit. Commercial banks take part in the same bank linkage.

Remember · SHG-Bank Linkage began with NABARD in 1992-93. SHG members share responsibility for repayment, and banks (commercial banks, RRBs, cooperatives) lend to SHGs with NABARD refinance.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 10 Understanding Economic Development, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

Cite this question: UPSC CSE Prelims 2023, Q74 — minimalistias.com/pyqs/prelims/2023/q74

In the UPSC syllabus: Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sector › Financial inclusion & welfare delivery See it and tick it covered →

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