With reference to 'Stand Up India Scheme', which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1.Its purpose is to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
- 2.It provides for refinance through SIDBI.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Stand Up India, approved by the Union Cabinet on 6 January 2016 and launched on 5 April 2016, asks every bank branch to back at least one Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe borrower and at least one woman borrower for a new non-farm enterprise. Its support structure includes a refinance window through SIDBI (initially ₹10,000 crore) and credit guarantees through NCGTC, so both statements are correct.
- ✓ 1. The Cabinet approved the scheme specifically to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs, with bank loans of ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore for greenfield enterprises.
- ✓ 2. The scheme provides a refinance window through the Small Industries Development Bank of India, with an initial amount of ₹10,000 crore.
Remember · Stand Up India (2016): loans of ₹10 lakh–₹1 crore to SC/ST and women for greenfield enterprises; SIDBI refinance, NCGTC credit guarantee, handholding support.
Sources
- PIB: Cabinet approves Stand Up India Scheme (6 January 2016) ↗ “The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the “Stand Up India Scheme” to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and Women entrepreneurs. … The Stand Up India Scheme provides for: • Refinance window through Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) with an initial amount of Rs. 10,000 crore.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·