Chapter 4 — March: From Cabinet Decisions to Delivery

Coverage window: 1–31 March 2026

Revision checked: 11 October 2026

Question set: CA26-MAR-001 to CA26-MAR-025

March is a useful month for learning how to read policy announcements. Several high-visibility releases describe a sequence rather than a finished outcome: a proposal is considered, the Cabinet approves it, departments design guidelines, funds are released, and implementation begins. A question may ask about the approval, while a news headline may describe the expected benefit. Keep those stages separate.

This chapter uses four official records to practise that distinction: the PM-KISAN 22nd instalment, the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA), Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, and a highway approval. The Union Budget portal is used as a source-finding index, not as proof for an individual claim. Source IDs CA26-026–030 give the documents and their limits.

1. PM-KISAN: know the instalment and the transfer date

The Government of India reported the release of the 22nd instalment of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) on 13 March 2026 from Guwahati, Assam. The official post-event account dated 19 March reported transfers exceeding ₹18,640 crore to more than 9.32 crore farmer families, including over 2.15 crore women beneficiaries. Those values are tied to this instalment; they are not a current beneficiary count for all later dates.

For examination revision, retain four separate facts: the programme name, the instalment number, the event date and location, and the transfer method. PM-KISAN is a central sector scheme. The event account describes direct benefit transfer (DBT). The annual benefit is ₹6,000 per eligible farmer family in three equal instalments; do not mistake the amount in one instalment for the annual amount. Nor should the total transfer in this instalment be confused with the cumulative amount transferred under the scheme since its launch.

The arithmetic provides a useful sanity check: a payment of ₹2,000 to about 9.32 crore recipients would be approximately ₹18,640 crore. This is a rough check based on rounded counts. It does not independently establish eligibility or prove that each account received exactly the same amount. A source gives the reported aggregate; the calculation helps you notice a misplaced digit.

Static link: DBT is a delivery mechanism that moves an eligible benefit to a beneficiary’s bank account through a digital payment chain. A current-affairs question may test the mechanism and the event separately. Keep “who receives support,” “how it is transferred,” and “which ministry administers it” as distinct prompts.

Exam trap: a pre-event announcement dated 11 March said the instalment would be released on 13 March. A post-event record confirms the transfer occurred. If asked what happened, cite the post-event confirmation, not merely the announcement. The release date of a record and the date of the event it describes are also different dates.

2. BHAVYA: an approval is a programme, not 100 finished parks

On 18 March 2026, the Union Cabinet approved Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna, abbreviated BHAVYA. The Cabinet release describes an allocation of ₹33,660 crore for development of 100 plug-and-play industrial parks, with implementation involving states and private-sector partners. A plug-and-play park is intended to provide industrial space and supporting infrastructure in a form that can reduce the time a firm needs to begin operations.

The exam-safe statement is: the Cabinet approved BHAVYA with a stated allocation and a programme objective of 100 industrial parks. It is not accurate to turn that into “100 parks opened in March 2026.” A target, sanction, tender, construction milestone and operational facility are different facts. The words “across the country” do not by themselves identify a specific site in Andhra Pradesh. Do not claim that a park is allotted to a particular AP district unless a later state or central record names it.

For police-exam revision, connect the programme to industrial policy and cooperative implementation. The Union approval establishes the scheme framework; state participation and project selection determine where particular infrastructure proceeds. When reading a follow-up, look for the guidelines, selection criteria, state agreement, approved location, financial release and commissioning record.

Static link: industrial parks provide shared infrastructure. The policy question is not simply “how many parks?” It can ask which level approved the scheme, which partners participate, the stated outlay, or whether the number refers to a target or a completed asset.

3. Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0: service delivery and sustainability

On 10 March 2026, the Union Cabinet approved restructuring and extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission period up to December 2028. The official release described a revised total outlay of ₹8.69 lakh crore and central assistance of ₹3.59 lakh crore, as well as a stronger focus on service delivery and a national digital framework called Sujalam Bharat. Under the described framework, each village is to receive a unique service-area identity and the water-supply system is to be digitally mapped.

The educational point is the shift in emphasis described by the government: from creating infrastructure alone toward the sustained delivery and governance of rural piped drinking water. A pipeline’s construction does not by itself prove that a household receives a safe, reliable service. Operations, maintenance, source sustainability, water quality and local institutions matter. This is why the words “service delivery” and “sustainability” should be remembered with the mission update.

The numbers must retain their labels. The total outlay is not the same as central assistance. Neither figure means that the full amount had already been spent in March. A Cabinet approval establishes the policy decision and financial frame; annual budget allocations, releases and expenditure accounts are later stages.

Static link: drinking-water governance connects rural development, public health, local administration and environmental management. In a question, read whether the item asks about the scheme’s purpose, the digital framework, the revised time period or the financing figures.

4. NH-752D: project approval and location discipline

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a four-laning project for the Badnawar–Petlawad–Thandla–Timarwani section of National Highway 752D in Madhya Pradesh. The 10 March 2026 release reported a project length of 80.45 kilometres and a capital cost of ₹3,839.42 crore. The stated connectivity purpose was to link the area toward the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, with the release describing expected travel-efficiency benefits.

Three details make a strong retrieval card: highway number, state and approved section; length; and estimated/approved capital cost. Do not shift this project to Andhra Pradesh because the book is AP-focused. National current affairs still matter, but a state-specific fact must retain its actual geography.

The release describes an approval. It does not establish the completion date. “Expected to reduce travel time” is an anticipated benefit, not a measured post-completion result. If you later find a construction update, record its date and milestone separately.

5. A four-step evidence check

Use this sequence for every March policy item:

1. Find the issuing institution. Cabinet, CCEA, ministry, state department, regulator or statutory authority?

2. Mark the event date and the publication date. A March 19 backgrounder may describe a March 13 transfer.

3. Underline the action verb. Proposed, approved, notified, released, commenced, completed or evaluated?

4. Copy the unit and qualifier into your notes. Crore rupees, kilometres, beneficiaries, “more than,” “up to,” BE, RE or a target?

These steps reduce the common errors that turn good reading into wrong answers: mixing up the instalment with the annual amount; treating a target as a completed outcome; omitting the state or district; or quoting a headline number without knowing whether it is a total outlay, central share or actual expenditure.

6. Andhra Pradesh candidate’s state-check routine

For an AP SI or Constable examination, national releases are only one layer. March items about Andhra Pradesh must be checked against a state Government Order, Gazette, Assembly document, Finance Department release or the responsible department’s dated record. A national scheme may operate in the state, but its national approval does not prove an AP-specific beneficiary count or project sanction.

The AP Finance Department’s 2026–27 budget outreach documents are an example of the distinction. The March memo and circular describe a public budget-outreach process and departmental distribution of allocations. They do not establish that the money was spent or that a project produced a result. A budget provision is authority and planning; actual expenditure is established by accounts and implementation records.

When a state fact is important, add a small “AP verification” box to your personal notes: state institution; order or document number; date; location; status; source URL. If one of those is missing, keep the item out of a state-specific answer key until you find it.

Month-end retrieval strip

The table is a retrieval aid, not a substitute for the source record. Before an exam, revisit the source register and make sure no later correction or notification changed a status. These figures are frozen to the interim edition cutoff of 10 October 2026.

Quick recall

• Which PM-KISAN instalment was released on 13 March 2026, and from which city?
• What does the “100” in the March BHAVYA release refer to?
• Which digital framework is named in the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 release?
• Which section of NH-752D was approved, and in which state?
• Give one reason a post-event record is stronger than a pre-event announcement when writing “what happened.”

Attempt the 25 questions in the next section without looking at the month-end strip. For every wrong answer, identify whether the error was a date, institution, unit, geography or status mistake.

Figure 4.1 — March: delivery and infrastructure. Original teaching visual; schematic, not to scale unless the chapter specifies units.

Original practice questions

1. The PM-KISAN instalment reported as released on 13 March 2026 was which instalment?

A. 22nd

B. 20th

C. 21st

D. 23rd

Answer: A. The March release confirms the 22nd instalment. The announcement before the event and the post-event record both use that number. Source: CA26-026.

2. The 22nd PM-KISAN instalment was released from:

A. Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh

B. Guwahati, Assam

C. Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

D. Jaipur, Rajasthan

Answer: B. The event took place at Guwahati in Assam. Do not replace the event venue with a ministry headquarters or the state where a beneficiary lives. Source: CA26-026.

3. What transfer method is associated with the March 2026 PM-KISAN instalment?

A. Cash payment through ration shops

B. Municipal property-tax rebate

C. Direct Benefit Transfer to bank accounts

D. Post-office money order only

Answer: C. The official release describes direct transfer to bank accounts through DBT. Source: CA26-026.

4. The reported amount transferred in the 22nd PM-KISAN instalment was:

A. More than ₹1,864 crore

B. ₹1.864 lakh crore

C. ₹18.64 lakh crore

D. More than ₹18,640 crore

Answer: D. The release reports more than ₹18,640 crore. The distractors shift the magnitude by factors of ten or one hundred. Source: CA26-026.

5. Approximately how many farmer families were reported to have received the 22nd instalment?

A. 9.32 crore

B. 9.32 lakh

C. 93.2 lakh

D. 93.2 crore

Answer: A. The post-event source reports over 9.32 crore farmer families. Source: CA26-026.

6. According to the PM-KISAN fact frame used in the March source, the annual assistance per eligible farmer family is:

A. ₹2,000 in one annual payment

B. ₹6,000 in three equal instalments

C. ₹4,000 in two instalments

D. ₹18,640 in four instalments

Answer: B. The source describes ₹6,000 annually in three equal instalments. The March aggregate transfer is a separate figure. Source: CA26-026.

7. Which phrase best describes the legal/administrative status of BHAVYA on 18 March 2026?

A. All 100 parks had opened

B. The scheme had been evaluated after ten years

C. The Union Cabinet approved the scheme

D. Every state had completed its sites

Answer: C. The Cabinet release records approval, not completion or evaluation. Source: CA26-027.

8. BHAVYA is the abbreviation for:

A. Bharat Agro Vistar Yojana

B. Bharatiya Awas Vikas Yojana

C. Bharat Automated Vehicle Yojana

D. Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna

Answer: D. The Cabinet release names the scheme Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna. Source: CA26-027.

9. The BHAVYA release described a stated allocation of:

A. ₹33,660 crore

B. ₹3,366 crore

C. ₹13,660 crore

D. ₹3.36 lakh crore

Answer: A. The March 18 Cabinet release states ₹33,660 crore. Source: CA26-027.

10. The “100” associated with BHAVYA refers to:

A. Districts in Andhra Pradesh

B. Industrial parks as a programme objective

C. Parks already commissioned in March 2026

D. Years of tax exemption for each unit

Answer: B. The release describes development of 100 plug-and-play industrial parks. It does not say that all had been commissioned. Source: CA26-027.

11. Which implementation arrangement is described for BHAVYA?

A. Union Government alone, without state participation

B. Only municipal corporations, with no industry participation

C. Partnership involving states and the private sector

D. A multilateral treaty with neighbouring countries

Answer: C. The source describes implementation in partnership with states and private-sector players. Source: CA26-027.

12. The Jal Jeevan Mission period was approved for extension up to:

A. December 2026

B. December 2027

C. December 2030

D. December 2028

Answer: D. The Cabinet release states an extension up to December 2028. Source: CA26-028.

13. Which digital framework is named in the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 release?

A. Sujalam Bharat

B. BharatNet Express

C. Gram UPI

D. Jal Raksha Grid

Answer: A. The release names the national digital framework Sujalam Bharat. Source: CA26-028.

14. The revised total outlay reported for Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 was:

A. ₹0.869 lakh crore

B. ₹8.69 lakh crore

C. ₹86.9 lakh crore

D. ₹3.59 lakh crore

Answer: B. The total outlay was reported as ₹8.69 lakh crore. ₹3.59 lakh crore is the stated central assistance, a different measure. Source: CA26-028.

15. Which amount is described as the central assistance for the restructured Jal Jeevan Mission?

A. ₹8.69 lakh crore

B. ₹33,660 crore

C. ₹3.59 lakh crore

D. ₹3,839.42 crore

Answer: C. The release lists ₹3.59 lakh crore as central assistance and ₹8.69 lakh crore as total outlay. Source: CA26-028.

16. The mission’s digital mapping concept is intended to identify and map:

A. National parks and tiger reserves

B. All railway ticket counters

C. Urban property titles only

D. Village service areas and water-supply systems

Answer: D. Sujalam Bharat is described as assigning village service-area identities and digitally mapping water-supply systems. Source: CA26-028.

17. Which body approved the NH-752D project described in the March record?

A. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

B. Election Commission of India

C. Finance Commission

D. National Green Tribunal

Answer: A. The release records approval by the CCEA. Source: CA26-029.

18. The approved Badnawar–Petlawad–Thandla–Timarwani section lies in:

A. Andhra Pradesh

B. Madhya Pradesh

C. Odisha

D. Assam

Answer: B. The project is in Madhya Pradesh. Its inclusion in this national current-affairs book does not make it an AP project. Source: CA26-029.

19. What length did the official release give for the NH-752D section?

A. 8.045 km

B. 804.5 km

C. 80.45 km

D. 84.05 km

Answer: C. The release states 80.45 kilometres. Source: CA26-029.

20. What capital cost was reported for the NH-752D section?

A. ₹383.942 crore

B. ₹38,394.2 crore

C. ₹3.839 lakh crore

D. ₹3,839.42 crore

Answer: D. The official release states ₹3,839.42 crore. Source: CA26-029.

21. Which statement correctly distinguishes the PM-KISAN event date from the source publication date?

A. The transfer was on 13 March; the post-event source was published on 19 March

B. The transfer was on 19 March; the source was published on 13 March

C. Both happened on 1 March

D. Neither date is given

Answer: A. The release dated 19 March confirms an event on 13 March. Event date and publication date must be recorded separately. Source: CA26-026.

22. Which statement is supported by the March BHAVYA source?

A. Exactly 100 parks began production on 18 March

B. A programme objective was development of 100 plug-and-play industrial parks

C. Andhra Pradesh received all 100 parks

D. The programme was discontinued on 18 March

Answer: B. The release describes a programme objective and approval. It does not establish the completion, production or state-wise allocation claims in the other options. Source: CA26-027.

23. Why should a student avoid writing that the full Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 outlay had already been spent in March?

A. The source contains only sports results

B. A budget outlay always equals actual expenditure

C. The cited record is a Cabinet approval and financial frame, not an audited expenditure account

D. The release gives no financial figures

Answer: C. An approval and outlay are not the same as release or actual expenditure. Source: CA26-028.

24. The road release described travel-time reduction as:

A. A measured result after completion

B. A finding of the Election Commission

C. A guarantee for every passenger

D. An expected benefit of the approved project

Answer: D. The document describes an expected benefit; it is not a post-completion measurement. Source: CA26-029.

25. For an Andhra Pradesh-specific claim about a national scheme’s beneficiaries, what is the best verification step?

A. Use an AP department, Gazette, Assembly or official statistical record for the state-specific figure

B. Assume the national total applies to AP

C. Copy a social-media graphic

D. Use a different state’s press release

Answer: A. National approval and totals do not verify an AP-specific implementation or beneficiary number. Find the responsible AP institution’s primary record. Source: CA26-026.