AP Welfare and Development Schemes Handbook

What to remember

• Scheme names change with governments. The idea behind each scheme (health cover, pension, food, student support, farmer aid) stays the same, so learn the purpose first and the current name second.
• Delivery runs through the Sachivalayam system: Grama/Ward Volunteers, Sachivalayam staff and online portals carry benefits to the home.
• For any amount, date or beneficiary count, check the latest official release. A scheme name that was changed is a common exam trap.

How welfare is organised in Andhra Pradesh

Welfare in the State moves in three steps. First, the government announces a scheme with an order (G.O.). Second, an agency (a department or a corporation) picks the beneficiaries from the household data. Third, money goes by Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the bank account, or services reach the person at the village or ward office.

Key delivery channels:

• Grama Sachivalayam (village) and Ward Sachivalayam (town): one-stop offices started on 2 October 2019.
• Grama/Ward Volunteers (2019-24): one volunteer served a small cluster of households for door-delivery of pensions and services; since mid-2024 the State delivers these through Sachivalayam staff instead.
• Spandana: the public grievance programme to register complaints and requests.
• Social audit: beneficiary lists are displayed so people can object or claim.

Scheme types and standard examples

Important statutory and central schemes that the State implements

• MGNREGS (2005 Act): guarantee of up to 100 days of unskilled wage work in a year to a rural household that asks for it. The Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025 replaces it from 1 July 2026 with a guarantee of 125 days. Wages are paid within 15 days. Work is given within 15 days of the application, else an allowance is due.
• PDS under the National Food Security Act, 2013: subsidised grain for priority households; the ration card identifies the family.
• PM Awas Yojana: housing support in rural and urban areas.
• Swachh Bharat Mission: toilets and waste management.
• Jal Jeevan Mission: tap water connection to rural homes.
• PM Kisan: direct income support to farmer families.
• Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY: health cover for poor families; the State merges it with its own health scheme.

Development agencies of Andhra Pradesh

Planning facts to remember

• A State scheme is born from the Budget or a Government Order. It is funded either by the State alone (State sector) or shared with the Centre (centrally sponsored).
• Centrally sponsored scheme: the Centre and the State share the cost in a fixed ratio; the State implements.
• Central sector scheme: the Centre funds and runs it fully.
• DBT removes middlemen: money goes straight into the Aadhaar-linked bank account of the beneficiary.
• Convergence means joining many schemes at one village or ward so that the benefits reach the same people together.

Comparison: types of benefit

How a beneficiary gets a scheme

• 1. Survey and household data: the volunteer collects family details, and the Sachivalayam checks the details for each scheme.
• 2. Eligibility list: a draft list is displayed at the village or ward office so that people can check it.
• 3. Objection period: a person left out can file an application. The staff verify it and the final list is approved by the competent officer.
• 4. Sanction and release: money is released by the department to the bank account, or the service is given at the facility.
• 5. Social audit and grievance: a person who is refused can go to Spandana or to the department head.

Reading a scheme in the exam

Always ask five questions: who is the beneficiary, what is the benefit, who delivers it, how is it paid, and which department is in charge. Most questions test one of these five points.

• Beneficiary: farmer, woman, student, elderly, weaver, fisherman, tribal family.
• Benefit: cash, goods, loan, insurance, house or service.
• Delivery: volunteer, bank, ration shop, school, hospital.
• Department: Agriculture, Social Welfare, Women and Child Welfare, Health, Education, Municipal Administration, Rural Development.

Key terms

Exam traps

• 1. Same scheme, different names: a scheme may be renamed when the government changes; the aim remains the same.
• 2. MGNREGS is 100 days per household, not per person (125 days under the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, from July 2026).
• 3. SERP is rural, MEPMA is urban. Do not swap them.
• 4. Sachivalayam started on 2 October 2019 and not on a Republic Day or Independence Day.
• 5. Centrally sponsored is not central sector: the first shares cost, the second is fully central.
• 6. DBT sends money to the account; it is not a cash payment at the village office.
• 7. Aarogyasri is a health cover, not a food or pension scheme.
• 8. Spandana is a grievance programme, not a loan scheme.

One-liners

• 1. The Grama and Ward Sachivalayam system started on 2 October 2019.
• 2. MGNREGS gives 100 days of work per rural household.
• 3. Aarogyasri gives cashless treatment to poor families.
• 4. SERP works for rural poverty reduction.
• 5. MEPMA works for urban poverty reduction.
• 6. DBT means Direct Benefit Transfer.
• 7. The National Food Security Act is from 2013.
• 8. Spandana is the grievance redressal programme.
• 9. Pensions are delivered to the home, by volunteers until 2024 and by Sachivalayam staff since then.
• 10. Jalayagnam is the name of the State irrigation programme drive.
• 11. A centrally sponsored scheme shares cost between Centre and State.
• 12. A ration card identifies a family under PDS.

Practice questions

1. On which date did the Grama and Ward Sachivalayam system start in Andhra Pradesh?

   1. 1 November 2019
   2. 2 October 2019
   3. 26 January 2020
   4. 15 August 2019
   Answer

   B. 2 October 2019

   The system began on 2 October 2019.

2. MGNREGS guarantees how many days of unskilled wage work per rural household per year?

   1. 50 days
   2. 200 days
   3. 150 days
   4. 100 days
   Answer

   D. 100 days

   The guarantee is up to 100 days per household.

3. What does DBT stand for in welfare delivery?

   1. Department Benefit Table
   2. Direct Benefit Transfer
   3. Direct Bank Tender
   4. District Budget Transfer
   Answer

   B. Direct Benefit Transfer

   DBT sends money straight to the beneficiary's bank account.

4. Aarogyasri is a scheme for

   1. Free ration for farmers
   2. Cashless treatment for poor families
   3. Housing for tribals
   4. Free uniforms for students
   Answer

   B. Cashless treatment for poor families

   It is a health-cover scheme.

5. SERP in Andhra Pradesh works mainly for

   1. Urban housing
   2. Power distribution
   3. Rural poverty reduction through self-help groups
   4. Road transport
   Answer

   C. Rural poverty reduction through self-help groups

   SERP means Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty.

6. MEPMA works mainly in

   1. Coastal ports
   2. Tribal hills
   3. Irrigation canals
   4. Urban areas
   Answer

   D. Urban areas

   MEPMA is the urban counterpart of SERP.

7. Spandana is a

   1. Public grievance programme
   2. Pension scheme
   3. Crop insurance scheme
   4. Housing loan
   Answer

   A. Public grievance programme

   People use Spandana to register complaints and requests.

8. The National Food Security Act was passed in

   1. 2005
   2. 2019
   3. 1999
   4. 2013
   Answer

   D. 2013

   The NFS Act is from 2013.

9. The MGNREGS Act was passed in

   1. 2009
   2. 2015
   3. 2005
   4. 1991
   Answer

   C. 2005

   The Act dates from 2005.

10. The identity paper for a family to get subsidised grain under PDS is the

    1. Passport
    2. Ration card
    3. Voter card
    4. Driving licence
    Answer

    B. Ration card

    The ration card identifies the family under PDS.

11. Which cost sharing pattern defines a centrally sponsored scheme?

    1. Centre and State share the cost
    2. Only the Centre pays
    3. Only the State pays
    4. Only the beneficiary pays
    Answer

    A. Centre and State share the cost

    The State implements while both share cost.

12. A scheme fully funded and run by the Centre is called a

    1. Centrally sponsored scheme
    2. Local fund scheme
    3. State sector scheme
    4. Central sector scheme
    Answer

    D. Central sector scheme

    Central sector schemes are 100% central.

13. Under MGNREGS, wages should normally be paid within

    1. 1 day
    2. 15 days
    3. 30 days
    4. 60 days
    Answer

    B. 15 days

    The Act sets payment within 15 days.

14. Which scheme gives tap water connections to rural homes?

    1. PM Kisan
    2. Swachh Bharat Mission
    3. Jal Jeevan Mission
    4. Ayushman Bharat
    Answer

    C. Jal Jeevan Mission

    Jal Jeevan Mission aims at household tap connection.

15. PM Kisan gives

    1. Direct income support to farmer families
    2. Cashless hospital care
    3. Free toilets
    4. Housing loans
    Answer

    A. Direct income support to farmer families

    PM Kisan transfers income support to farmers.

16. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is a

    1. Crop loan scheme
    2. Health cover scheme for poor families
    3. Pension scheme
    4. Road building scheme
    Answer

    B. Health cover scheme for poor families

    It provides hospital cover.

17. Girijan Cooperative Corporation mainly

    1. Buys minor forest produce from tribals
    2. Runs urban buses
    3. Builds ports
    4. Teaches in colleges
    Answer

    A. Buys minor forest produce from tribals

    GCC markets tribal produce.

18. The Spandana programme is best used by a person who

    1. Wants a driving licence
    2. Wants to vote
    3. Wants to take a bank loan
    4. Wants to file a complaint with the government
    Answer

    D. Wants to file a complaint with the government

    It is a grievance programme.

19. Pensions in the Sachivalayam system are mostly delivered to the beneficiary's home by

    1. Postal clerks only
    2. Mandal Revenue Officers
    3. Grama or Ward Volunteers
    4. Bank managers
    Answer

    C. Grama or Ward Volunteers

    Volunteers deliver pensions at the door.

20. Convergence of schemes means

    1. Raising taxes
    2. Joining many schemes so that benefits reach the same people together
    3. Closing old schemes
    4. Merging two States
    Answer

    B. Joining many schemes so that benefits reach the same people together

    It avoids overlap and improves reach.

21. The Jalayagnam programme is mainly about

    1. School meals
    2. Health insurance
    3. Irrigation projects
    4. Housing
    Answer

    C. Irrigation projects

    Jalayagnam is the State irrigation drive.

22. A scheme is rolled out by an official paper called a

    1. Government Order (G.O.)
    2. Bill
    3. Gazette of India
    4. Writ
    Answer

    A. Government Order (G.O.)

    A G.O. is the legal order starting a scheme.

23. Interest subvention means that

    1. The bank closes the loan
    2. The borrower pays double interest
    3. The loan is free of repayment
    4. The government pays part of the interest on a loan
    Answer

    D. The government pays part of the interest on a loan

    It lowers the borrower's burden.

24. A rural woman wants work close to home and wages. Which scheme should she apply under?

    1. MGNREGS
    2. Ayushman Bharat
    3. Sukanya Samriddhi
    4. Jal Jeevan
    Answer

    A. MGNREGS

    MGNREGS gives wage work to rural households on demand.

25. A family needs hospital treatment and has no money. Which type of scheme helps?

    1. Fee reimbursement
    2. Cashless health cover
    3. Interest subvention
    4. Crop insurance
    Answer

    B. Cashless health cover

    Health cover pays hospitals directly.

26. A beneficiary list left out an eligible family. What should the family do?

    1. Wait for the next election
    2. Go to the State Assembly
    3. Apply within the objection period at the Sachivalayam
    4. Pay a fee to the volunteer
    Answer

    C. Apply within the objection period at the Sachivalayam

    The draft list is displayed so omissions can be corrected.

27. Why is DBT preferred over cash handed out at an office?

    1. It needs no bank account
    2. It raises the amount
    3. It avoids all records
    4. It removes middlemen and leakage
    Answer

    D. It removes middlemen and leakage

    Money goes straight to the account.

28. Housing schemes usually register the house in the name of

    1. The woman of the family
    2. The bank
    3. The volunteer
    4. The village head
    Answer

    A. The woman of the family

    Most housing schemes give ownership to the woman of the household.

29. Which delivery type is the rice supplied through fair price shops?

    1. Cash
    2. In kind
    3. Service
    4. Asset
    Answer

    B. In kind

    Grain given in physical form is in-kind benefit.

30. Free power to farm pumps is best described as

    1. A cash transfer
    2. An asset transfer
    3. A tax
    4. A service subsidy
    Answer

    D. A service subsidy

    The farmer receives the service at lower cost.

31. A house-site patta given to a poor family is an example of

    1. A tax rebate
    2. A service benefit
    3. An asset benefit
    4. A cash benefit
    Answer

    C. An asset benefit

    A patta transfers ownership of a plot.

32. Consider the statements about MGNREGS. 1. It guarantees 100 days of wage work per household. 2. It is a rural scheme. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both statements are correct.

33. Consider the statements. 1. SERP works in rural areas. 2. MEPMA works in urban areas. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    SERP is rural; MEPMA is urban.

34. Consider the statements about DBT. 1. Money goes directly to the bank account of the beneficiary. 2. It increases the role of middlemen. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    DBT cuts out middlemen, so 2 is wrong.

35. Consider the statements. 1. A centrally sponsored scheme is paid entirely by the Centre. 2. A central sector scheme is paid entirely by the Centre. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Centrally sponsored schemes share cost between Centre and State.

36. Consider the statements about the Sachivalayam system. 1. It started on 2 October 2019. 2. It replaces the elected Gram Panchayat. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    It supports the elected body and does not replace it.

37. Consider the statements. 1. Spandana is a loan scheme for farmers. 2. Spandana registers public grievances. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Spandana is a grievance programme, not a loan scheme.

38. Consider the statements about PDS. 1. It works under the National Food Security Act, 2013. 2. A ration card identifies the family. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both statements are correct.

39. Consider the statements. 1. Scheme names may change when governments change. 2. The purpose of a scheme always changes with its name. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Names change but the purpose usually stays similar.

40. Consider the statements about social audit. 1. Beneficiary lists are put on display for objections. 2. It is done only by the scheme's own officers. Which is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Social audit involves the beneficiaries and the public.

41. Match the pairs. A. SERP B. MEPMA C. GCC D. Spandana 1. Tribal produce 2. Grievance redressal 3. Rural poverty 4. Urban poverty

    1. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
    2. A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2
    3. A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
    4. A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2
    Answer

    D. A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2

    SERP is rural, MEPMA urban, GCC tribal produce, Spandana grievances.

42. Match the scheme with its type of benefit. A. PDS rice B. Pension C. Cashless treatment D. House-site patta 1. In kind 2. Cash 3. Service 4. Asset

    1. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
    2. A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
    3. A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
    4. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
    Answer

    D. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4

    Rice is in kind, pension is cash, treatment is service, patta is an asset.

43. Which is the correct order of steps for giving a scheme benefit?

    1. Release, survey, final list, objections
    2. Survey, draft list, objections, final list, release
    3. Draft list, release, survey, objections
    4. Objections, release, survey, final list
    Answer

    B. Survey, draft list, objections, final list, release

    Survey comes first and release comes after the final list.

44. Which of these is NOT a delivery channel of welfare in the Sachivalayam system?

    1. Sachivalayam staff
    2. Online portal
    3. Volunteer
    4. Court judgement
    Answer

    D. Court judgement

    Welfare is delivered by staff, volunteers and portals.

45. Work under MGNREGS is given to a household that asks for it within about

    1. 1 day of the application
    2. one year of the application
    3. 60 days of the application
    4. 15 days of the application
    Answer

    D. 15 days of the application

    The Act provides work within 15 days of demand, failing which an allowance is due.