Prelims · Economy & social development · 37 questions

Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sector

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

Asked in 9 of 11 years · most in 2019 (3)

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

Prelims 2026 · Q56

Medium Provisional key

Which of the following statements with regard to the persons with disabilities in India is/are correct?

1.The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2018, mandates reservation in education and employment, places a legal duty on Governments to ensure accessibility and non-discrimination.
2.The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains — built infrastructure, transport systems and information and communication technology.
3.The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a public sector organisation set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a not-for-profit company to promote entrepreneurship among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

Select the answer using the code given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 2 only

Only the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan statement is correct. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act was enacted in 2016, not 2018, and the disability finance corporation was set up by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, not the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

✗ 1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act was enacted in 2016 and came into force in April 2017. The description of its contents is right, but the year 2018 is wrong.
✓ 2. The Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) provides accessibility features in three verticals: the built-up environment, the transportation sector and the ICT ecosystem.
✗ 3. The corporation (earlier called the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation) was set up by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 1997 as a not-for-profit company under the Companies Act; the Ministry of Corporate Affairs did not set it up.

Remember · RPwD Act = 2016 (in force April 2017). Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Dec 2015): built environment, transport, ICT. NDFDC belongs to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (DEPwD).

Sources

PIB: Accessible India Campaign booklet (April 2023): RPwD Act ↗ “the government enacted the Rights for Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 which came into force from April 2017. … the Campaign envisages providing features of accessibility in the three verticals of Built-up environment, Transportation sector and Information & Communication Technology ecosystem, for creation of an universal barrier free environment.”
NDFDC (formerly NHFDC), Guidelines for Credit Based Funding: About NHFDC ↗ “National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) was set up by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India on 24th January 1997.”

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

Prelims 2026 · Q93

Hard Provisional key

Which of the following statements about M1xchange’s role in Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) financing is/are correct?

1.M1xchange provides collateral based loans to MSMEs.
2.M1xchange facilitates discounting of invoices and Bills of Exchange for MSMEs.
3.M1xchange functions as a credit rating agency for MSMEs.

Select the answer using the code given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 2 only

M1xchange is one of the RBI-authorised TReDS platforms, an electronic exchange where MSME invoices and bills of exchange are discounted by competing financiers. It is a marketplace, not a lender that takes collateral and not a rating agency.

✗ 1. M1xchange does not lend. Banks and NBFC-Factors bid on the platform, and financing is collateral-free and ‘without recourse’ to the MSME seller.
✓ 2. In TReDS an invoice or bill of exchange is uploaded as a Factoring Unit, financiers bid, and the winning bidder pays the MSME seller at the agreed discount.
✗ 3. TReDS participants are sellers, buyers and financiers; the platform runs the discounting auction and does not rate MSMEs.

Remember · M1xchange = RBI-authorised TReDS platform for discounting MSME invoices and bills of exchange; collateral-free and without recourse to the seller.

Sources

RBI FAQs: Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) ↗ “TReDS is an electronic platform for facilitating the financing / discounting of trade receivables of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through multiple financiers. … A Factoring Unit (FU) is a standard nomenclature used in TReDS for invoice(s) or bill(s) of exchange.”
PIB: Government mandates TReDS for settlement of MSME invoices by CPSEs ↗ “Five platforms are currently operational: RXIL, M1xchange, Invoicemart, C2treds and DTX.”

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

Prelims 2026 · Q100

Medium Provisional key

Consider the following statements about Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI):

1.MPI is calculated using Alkire-Foster methodology.
2.MPI calculated by NITI Aayog has a total of twelve indicators.
3.Maternal Health and Bank Account are common indicators in the MPI of NITI Aayog and MPI of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Both the global MPI and India's national MPI are built on the Alkire–Foster counting method, and India's national MPI has twelve indicators. But Maternal Health and Bank Account are India's own additions to the ten global indicators, so they are not shared with the UNDP index.

✓ 1. NITI Aayog says the national MPI retains the Alkire–Foster methodology developed with OPHI and UNDP, the same counting method used for the global MPI.
✓ 2. India's national MPI has three equally weighted dimensions (health, education, standard of living) measured through 12 indicators.
✗ 3. The national MPI keeps the ten global indicators and adds Maternal Health and Bank Accounts on top, in line with national priorities. These two therefore appear only in NITI Aayog's index, not in UNDP's global MPI.

Remember · India's national MPI (NITI Aayog): Alkire–Foster method, 3 dimensions, 12 indicators = the 10 global ones plus Maternal Health and Bank Account.

Sources

NITI Aayog: National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023 ↗ “The national MPI model retains the ten indicators of the global MPI model, staying closely aligned to the global methodology. It also adds two indicators, viz., Maternal Health and Bank Accounts in line with national priorities. … It also retains the robust Alkire-Foster methodology developed by our technical partners, the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).”
PIB: Explainer Note on National Multidimensional Poverty Index ↗ “The MPI score is computed by scoring each sampled household in a given State or district on all 12 indicators simultaneously.”

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

The same topic in Mains

Welfare of vulnerable sectionsGS 2 syllabus
Health, education & human resourcesGS 2 syllabus
Poverty & hungerGS 2 syllabus
Inclusive growthGS 3 syllabus

Poverty, inclusion, demographics & social sector

Prelims 2026 · Q56

Prelims 2026 · Q93

Prelims 2026 · Q100

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