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International relations & current affairs

Prelims · International relations & current affairs · 60 questions

Government schemes & initiatives

Every UPSC Prelims question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Government schemes & initiatives questions per year: 2016: 5, 2017: 6, 2018: 3, 2019: 1, 2020: 3, 2021: 1, 2022: 2, 2023: 3, 2024: 3, 2025: 2, 2026: 2 Asked in 11 of 11 years · most in 2017 (6)

UPSC syllabus: “Current events of national and international importance.” See the full syllabus →

Prelims 2021 · Q14

Medium

With reference to 'WaterCredit', consider the following statements:

  1. 1.It puts microfinance tools to work in the water and sanitation sector.
  2. 2.It is a global initiative launched under the aegis of the World Health Organization and the World Bank.
  3. 3.It aims to enable the poor people to meet their water needs without depending on subsidies.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

WaterCredit is a loan programme created by the non-profit Water.org, not by the WHO or the World Bank. It works with local lenders so that poor households can borrow small sums for a tap connection or toilet and repay over time, instead of waiting for subsidies or charity.

  • ✓ 1. Water.org describes WaterCredit as the first programme to apply microfinance to water and sanitation, through partner financial institutions that add such loans to their offerings.
  • ✗ 2. The initiative was created by Water.org, a non-governmental organisation; it is not a WHO or World Bank programme.
  • ✓ 3. Its premise is that poor families already spend heavily on water and, given affordable credit, will pay for lasting household solutions themselves, a market-based route rather than a subsidy.

Remember · WaterCredit = Water.org's microloan model for household water and toilets; market-driven, repaid by borrowers, not a WHO/World Bank subsidy scheme.

Sources

  • Water.org, WaterCredit Initiative ↗ · reference work “WaterCredit is a powerful solution and the first to put microfinance tools to work in the water and sanitation sector. … One of the major barriers to safe water and sanitation is affordable financing. We created the WaterCredit Initiative® loan program to address this barrier head-on. … millions of people living in poverty would finance long-term solutions versus struggle day-to-day to find that next liter of water.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q84

Easy

At the national level, which ministry is the nodal agency to ensure effective implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Ministry of Tribal Affairs

Section 11 of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 names the Central Government's Ministry dealing with Tribal Affairs as the nodal agency for implementing the Act. So it is the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, not the environment ministry, even though the Act concerns forest land.

  • ✓ (d) The Act itself makes the Ministry of the Central Government dealing with Tribal Affairs the nodal agency for its implementation.
  • ✗ (a) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change manages forest and wildlife laws, and it is the tempting wrong answer. It is not the nodal agency for this Act.
  • ✗ (b) The Ministry of Panchayati Raj deals with local-government institutions, not the Forest Rights Act.
  • ✗ (c) The Ministry of Rural Development runs rural livelihood and housing schemes, not this Act.

Remember · Forest Rights Act, 2006: Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal agency (Section 11); Gram Sabha starts the recognition of rights.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

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