11th July 2026

Explanation – NFSA 2013 covers roughly two-thirds of India's population under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), guaranteeing food and nutritional security at affordable prices. Coverage includes up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population.

Beneficiaries are divided into Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) (poorest of the poor) and Priority Households (PHH). Monthly entitlements differ by category: AAY households get 35 kg of food grains per family, while PHH beneficiaries get 5 kg per person — so entitlement is not uniform across all households, making statement 2 incorrect.

• Women empowerment: The eldest woman of the household (18 years or older) is designated as the head of the family for the purpose of issuing ration cards.
• Maternity benefits: Pregnant and lactating women are entitled to a cash maternity benefit of not less than ₹6,000 — however, this benefit is typically capped for the first two children, making the "irrespective of number of children" claim in statement 3 incorrect.
• Children's meals: Age-appropriate meals are provided for children up to 6 years of age through Anganwadis, and free midday meals are provided to children aged 6 to 14 years in schools.
• Grievance redressal: States are required to set up State Food Commissions, District Grievance Redressal Officers (DGROs), and Vigilance Committees to ensure accountability.

Explanation – GCCs are fully-owned (not joint venture) strategic offshore units of multinational corporations (MNCs) established in talent-rich, cost-effective locations to provide specialised functions like IT, finance, R&D, and customer service, making statement 1 incorrect.

Initially focused on cost savings and back-office support, GCCs have evolved into innovation hubs and centres of excellence. They drive product development and complex business processes, adding significant value to the parent organisation. Key benefits include access to diverse global talent (not limited access, making statement 4 incorrect), operational efficiency, enhanced control, and fostering innovation.

Explanation – It was launched in 2014–15 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). SMAM aims to "reach the unreached" by extending the benefits of mechanisation to underserved sections, including small and marginal farmers, women, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and rural entrepreneurs — its focus is on small landholdings, not large landholdings, making statement 2 incorrect.

Features of Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation:

• The scheme promotes the establishment of Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) — units comprising a set of farm machinery, implements, and equipment meant for hiring by farmers.
• It also supports the development of hubs for hi-tech and high-value agricultural equipment, and the distribution of farm machinery.
• It focuses on regions with low farm power availability and on addressing structural constraints such as small landholdings and high capital costs through affordable rental services via CHCs.
• It supports the performance testing and certification of agricultural machinery.
• Targeted Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities are undertaken to enhance adoption among stakeholders.

Explanation – Established in 2006, NISER is an Autonomous Institute under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India — not the Department of Science and Technology, making statement 1 incorrect. It is a residential institute about 20 km south of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, equipped with state-of-art laboratories, computational facilities, computer centre, library and hostel facilities.

It is affiliated with Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai, a deemed research university that oversees academic programs at institutions that are part of the DAE structure. The primary objective of the Institute is to train and nurture human resources in the Sciences for the knowledge economies of the future.

The activities at NISER can be broadly classified into three categories:

• Science Education: It serves as a centre of excellence for undergraduate and postgraduate education in basic sciences. It offers a five-year integrated MSc as well as PhD degrees in pure and applied sciences.
• Scientific Research: NISER encourages both theoretical and experimental research in frontier areas in all branches of science. It currently has seven separate schools specialising in different areas of science.
• Science Outreach & Policy: NISER actively participates in the dissemination of scientific knowledge to public and school students with the aim to foster scientific temper. Faculty members are also members of various governmental committees that develop science policies for the country.

Explanation – Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented from 2022–2027, aligned with NEP 2020. It targets adults (aged 15 years and above, not exclusively school dropouts aged 15–18) who couldn't go to school, making statement 2 incorrect.

The scheme aims to empower those aged 15 years and above from all backgrounds who could not get due schooling and mainstream them with society to be able to contribute more to the growth story of the country.

The scheme has five components: Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Basic Education, Vocational Skills, and Continuing Education.

The vision of the ULLAS Scheme is to make India Jan Saakshar and is based on the spirit of Kartavya Bodh, being implemented on volunteerism. The ULLAS app can be used for registration of learners and volunteers either through self-registration or by surveyors. It serves as a digital gateway for learners to engage in diverse learning resources through the DIKSHA portal of NCERT.