Prelims · Economy & social development · 37 questions

Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sector

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UPSC syllabus: “Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.” See the full syllabus →

Prelims 2022 · Q19

Medium

With reference to Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements:

1.Private and public hospitals must adopt it.
2.As it aims to achieve universal health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.
3.It has seamless portability across the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 3 only

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), launched in September 2021, builds a digital backbone so health records can move with a patient anywhere in India. The government describes it as voluntary, so neither hospitals nor citizens are compelled to join; only the portability statement holds.

✗ 1. ABDM is voluntary. Hospitals, clinics and labs, public or private, choose to register on the Health Facility Registry; nothing makes adoption compulsory.
✗ 2. Creating an ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) number is a citizen's choice. The mission encourages enrolment through awareness drives but does not require every citizen to be part of it.
✓ 3. The ABHA number and linked records are designed to work across providers and states, so a patient can share records and get care seamlessly wherever they are.

Remember · ABDM (2021, run by the National Health Authority): voluntary, consent-based digital health ecosystem; ABHA number gives each person a portable, interoperable health record.

Sources

PIB: Update on Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (17 December 2024) ↗ “ABDM is voluntary in nature. Multiple awareness campaigns and efforts are underway to raise awareness about the benefits of ABHA among the public, healthcare providers, and institutions”
PIB: Explainer on Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) ↗ “Portability: The accounts are designed to be portable across various healthcare providers empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, allowing beneficiaries to access services seamlessly, regardless of their location.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2022 · Q71

Easy

In India, which one of the following compiles information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) Labour Bureau

The Labour Bureau, an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, brings out the annual statistics on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs. It builds them from monthly returns sent by State Labour Departments and the Regional Labour Commissioners (Central).

✓ (c) The Labour Bureau (headquartered in Chandigarh, with a Shimla office) publishes the yearly report 'Statistics on Industrial Disputes, Closures, Retrenchments and Lay-offs in India' from voluntary monthly returns.
✗ (a) The Central Statistics Office (part of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation) handles national accounts, industrial production and price indices, not industrial-dispute returns.
✗ (b) DPIIT frames industrial and trade promotion policy and FDI policy; it does not compile labour-dispute statistics.

Remember · Labour Bureau (Ministry of Labour and Employment) is the official compiler of labour statistics, including industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs, and the CPI for Industrial Workers.