Business & Trade — Commerce, Stock Market & Global Trade
Free study material · concepts, shortcuts & solved questions
Why This Chapter Matters
Government schemes are the single most predictable goldmine in SSC CGL General Awareness. Every year, Tier-1 papers carry four to six questions built entirely on launch years, ministries, and objectives of central schemes, and Tier-2 pushes that count higher when static GK gets mixed with current affairs. Unlike history or geography, this is a topic where marks are almost free: the facts are recent, well documented, and asked in a narrow, repeatable pattern — "which scheme was launched in which year," "which ministry runs it," "what is its target."
The single biggest mistake aspirants make here is memorising scheme names without anchoring the year and the core objective together. You will meet three schemes for financial inclusion, four for health, and two both called "Awas Yojana" (housing) — one rural, one urban. Mixed up like loose coins in a pocket, they blur into each other on exam day. This chapter fixes that by grouping schemes sector-wise, so instead of forty random names you carry eight labelled boxes in your head, each with three or four items inside. Read it once slowly, then use the Memory Tables at the end to test yourself before moving on.
1. The Idea Behind "Flagship Schemes"
A flagship scheme is a government's showcase programme, one it wants voters and media to remember by name. Since 2014, the Union government has launched a cluster of such schemes, most timed around Independence Day or Republic Day speeches, each solving one visible problem: no bank account, no toilet, no health cover, no skill certificate. Examiners love this era because the launch years are close together (2014-2016 mostly) and the names are catchy, which makes them easy to test and easy to confuse.
Exam trap: Do not assume every scheme with "Yojana" in its name is a Modi-era scheme. Schemes like the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), launched way back in 1975, or the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (2005), predate this wave by decades and get asked just as often.
2. Financial Inclusion: Getting India Banked
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
Launched on 28 August 2014 by the Ministry of Finance, Jan Dhan Yojana aimed to give every unbanked Indian household a zero-balance savings account. Within its first week it opened over 1.5 crore accounts, a scale the Guinness World Records recognised. Each account comes with a RuPay debit card, accident insurance cover, and an overdraft facility after satisfactory account operation.
Think of Jan Dhan as laying pipes before you can supply water. Without a bank account, no subsidy, insurance, or pension scheme can reach a person directly. Every scheme discussed later in this chapter that mentions "Direct Benefit Transfer" depends on this pipe network existing first.
Memory hook: "Jan Dhan opens the door, everything else walks through it."
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
Both launched on 9 May 2015. PMSBY is an accident insurance scheme with an annual premium of just ₹20 (revised from ₹12 in 2022), covering accidental death and disability up to ₹2 lakh. PMJJBY is a life insurance scheme with an annual premium of ₹436 (revised from ₹330), covering death by any cause, with a cover of ₹2 lakh. Both are renewable yearly and are linked to a bank or post office account, opened under the age bracket 18-70 (PMSBY) and 18-50 (PMJJBY).
Exam trap: Students routinely swap the two. Remember: Suraksha = Accident, Jeevan Jyoti = Life (any cause of death, including illness). "Suraksha" literally means protection from external harm — think accident.
Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
Launched on 9 May 2015, this is a pension scheme for the unorganised sector, guaranteeing a fixed monthly pension between ₹1,000 and ₹5,000 after the subscriber turns 60, depending on the contribution amount and the age of joining. It replaced the earlier Swavalamban Yojana.
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY)
Launched on 8 April 2015, MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) provides collateral-free loans up to ₹20 lakh (the limit was raised from ₹10 lakh in 2024) to small and micro enterprises. Loans are categorised into three slabs: Shishu (up to ₹50,000), Kishor (₹50,000 to ₹5 lakh), and Tarun (₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh), with a newer Tarun Plus slab added for units that have successfully repaid a previous Tarun loan.
Memory hook: Shishu-Kishor-Tarun mirrors the Hindi words for infant, adolescent, and young adult — a business literally "grows up" through the three loan slabs.
3. Health Sector Schemes
Ayushman Bharat — PM-JAY
Launched on 23 September 2018, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is the world's largest government-funded health assurance scheme, providing a health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation, cashless and paperless, at empanelled public and private hospitals. It targets roughly 12 crore poor and vulnerable families identified through the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011 database.
Ayushman Bharat actually has two pillars, and this is where exams get you.
- Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), later renamed Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, upgrading sub-centres and primary health centres to deliver comprehensive primary care close to home.
- PM-JAY, the insurance cover for hospitalisation.
Exam trap: A question naming only "Ayushman Bharat" without "PM-JAY" could be testing either pillar. Read the options carefully; if amounts like ₹5 lakh appear, it is PM-JAY; if "wellness centre" or "sub-centre upgrade" appears, it is the HWC pillar.
In 2024, the government extended PM-JAY cover to all senior citizens above 70 years, regardless of income, under a new component called Ayushman Vay Vandana.
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)
Launched in 2016, this scheme provides free, fixed-day antenatal checkups to pregnant women on the 9th of every month at government health facilities, aiming to reduce maternal and infant mortality.
Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
Launched in 2005 under the National Rural Health Mission, JSY promotes institutional delivery among poor pregnant women by providing cash assistance, reducing maternal and neonatal deaths linked to home births without medical supervision.
Mission Indradhanush
Launched in December 2014 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, this scheme aims to fully immunise children under two years and pregnant women against seven, later expanded to twelve, vaccine-preventable diseases, targeting districts with low immunisation coverage.
4. Agriculture and Rural Livelihood
PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi)
Launched on 24 February 2019, PM-KISAN provides income support of ₹6,000 per year to landholding farmer families, paid in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 directly into bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer, no loan involved, no repayment required. It is 100% funded by the Union government, unlike many rural schemes that are cost-shared with states.
Memory hook: Think of PM-KISAN as a fixed monthly allowance, except paid quarterly, for every landholding farming family — no paperwork after enrolment, no interest, no catch.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
Launched in 2016, this crop insurance scheme protects farmers against crop loss due to natural calamities, pests, or diseases. Farmers pay a low uniform premium: 2% for kharif crops, 1.5% for rabi crops, and 5% for commercial and horticultural crops, with the government subsidising the remainder.
Exam trap: Do not confuse PMFBY's premium structure (kharif 2%, rabi 1.5%) with each other. A useful trick: kharif is the longer monsoon season word and carries the (slightly) higher number, 2%.
Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme
Originally launched in 1998, well before the 2014 scheme wave, KCC gives farmers short-term credit for crop cultivation and allied activities at concessional interest rates. It was later extended to cover animal husbandry and fisheries as well.
Soil Health Card Scheme
Launched in 2015, this scheme issues farmers a card every two years detailing the nutrient status of their soil (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients) along with fertiliser recommendations, aiming to reduce indiscriminate fertiliser use.
5. Skill Development, Employment, and Startups
Skill India Mission / Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
Skill India Mission was launched on 15 July 2015 (World Youth Skills Day), and PMKVY is its flagship scheme, offering free short-term skill training with a monetary reward on certification, run under the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
Startup India
Launched on 16 January 2016, this initiative promotes entrepreneurship through tax exemptions, easier compliance, patent-filing fee rebates, and a Fund of Funds with a corpus of ₹10,000 crore, managed by SIDBI, to provide capital support to startups through venture funds. Registered startups get income tax exemption for three consecutive years out of their first ten years of existence.
Make in India
Launched on 25 September 2014, this initiative aims to transform India into a global manufacturing hub by easing business regulations, encouraging foreign direct investment, and boosting 25 identified sectors, including automobiles, textiles, defence manufacturing, and electronics. Its symbol, a walking lion made of gears, replaces the usual aggressive lion imagery with one built from machinery, an image worth remembering visually since exams occasionally ask for the scheme by logo description.
Digital India
Launched on 1 July 2015, this programme aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society, resting on three pillars: digital infrastructure as a core utility, governance and services on demand, and digital empowerment of citizens. Common Service Centres (CSCs), BharatNet (rural broadband), and the UMANG app for government services all fall under this umbrella.
Exam trap: Digital India (2015) and Make in India (2014) are frequently swapped in date-based questions because both were launched within a year of each other in the same government's first term. Fix it with sequence: Make in India came first (industry), Digital India followed (infrastructure and services).
Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
Announced in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a self-reliance campaign built on five pillars: economy, infrastructure, technology-driven systems, vibrant demography, and demand. It is less a single scheme and more an umbrella philosophy under which several relief and manufacturing incentive packages, including the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, were rolled out.
6. Housing and Urban Development
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)
Launched in 2015 with two distinct arms:
- PMAY-Urban (PMAY-U): targets urban poor and economically weaker sections, aiming for "Housing for All" in cities through in-situ slum redevelopment, credit-linked subsidy, and affordable housing partnerships.
- PMAY-Gramin (PMAY-G): launched in 2016, replacing the earlier Indira Awas Yojana, targets rural households without pucca houses, providing financial assistance to build a permanent dwelling.
Memory hook: Urban and Gramin (rural) are twins born a year apart — Urban in 2015, Gramin in 2016 — think of the city getting the address first because that's where the paperwork office usually sits.
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)
Launched on 2 October 2014, Gandhi's birth anniversary, this mission aimed to make India open-defecation free by building toilets and improving solid waste management. It has two components, Gramin (rural) and Urban, run respectively by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. India was declared open-defecation free in October 2019, five years after launch, deliberately timed to coincide with Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.
AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation)
Launched in 2015, AMRUT focuses on basic urban infrastructure: water supply, sewerage, stormwater drainage, green spaces, and non-motorised urban transport in 500 identified cities and towns.
7. Women and Child Welfare
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)
Launched on 22 January 2015 from Panipat, Haryana, a state historically notorious for a skewed child sex ratio, this scheme addresses declining child sex ratio and promotes girls' education, combining awareness campaigns with enforcement of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act against sex-selective abortion.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
Launched on 22 January 2015, the same day as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, this is a small savings scheme for the girl child, allowing parents to open an account for a daughter below 10 years, with the account maturing when she turns 21, offering one of the highest interest rates among government small savings schemes.
Exam trap: BBBP and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana share the same launch date and even the same launch location narrative in many notes, but they are functionally different: one is an awareness and enforcement campaign, the other is a bank savings instrument. Do not treat them as the same scheme with two names.
Ujjwala Yojana (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana)
Launched on 1 May 2016 from Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, this scheme provides free LPG gas connections to women from below-poverty-line households, replacing traditional chulha (wood or coal stove) cooking that causes indoor air pollution and related respiratory illness. The original target was 5 crore connections; it was later expanded to 8 crore and beyond.
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
One of the oldest schemes in this chapter, launched in 1975, ICDS delivers early childhood care through Anganwadi centres: supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health checkups, and pre-school education for children below six years, along with support for pregnant and lactating mothers.
Mission Shakti
Launched in 2021-22, this is an umbrella scheme for women's safety, security, and empowerment, merging earlier schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and the One Stop Centre scheme under two sub-schemes: Sambal (safety) and Samarthya (empowerment).
8. Employment Guarantee and Social Security
MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act)
Enacted in 2005 and implemented from 2006, MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment per financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. It is a legal right, not a discretionary scheme, meaning eligible households can demand work and claim unemployment allowance if it is not provided within 15 days. This is the largest employment guarantee programme in the world by number of beneficiaries.
Memory hook: MGNREGA is a right, not a favour. If the government fails to provide work within 15 days of demand, it owes the worker an unemployment allowance — that legal teeth is what separates it from every other scheme in this chapter.
Atal Bhujal Yojana
Launched in 2019, this scheme addresses groundwater depletion in water-stressed areas of seven states, combining community participation with incentive-based groundwater management.
National Pension System (NPS) and Atal Pension Yojana
NPS, originally for government employees from 2004 and opened to all citizens from 2009, is a market-linked, defined-contribution pension scheme. It differs from Atal Pension Yojana in that NPS returns depend on market performance, while APY offers a fixed, government-guaranteed monthly pension.
9. Reading Schemes in Exam Questions
Most SSC scheme questions fall into four repeatable templates. Recognise the template and you will answer faster:
- "In which year was ___ launched?" — needs exact year memorisation.
- "Which ministry administers ___?" — needs ministry mapping (health schemes to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, most financial inclusion schemes to Ministry of Finance, skill schemes to Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship).
- "What is the objective/target amount of ___?" — needs the core number (₹5 lakh for PM-JAY, ₹6,000 for PM-KISAN, ₹2 lakh insurance cover for PMSBY/PMJJBY).
- "Which scheme replaced/is linked to which earlier scheme?" — needs lineage (PMAY-G replaced Indira Awas Yojana; APY replaced Swavalamban Yojana; Mission Shakti absorbed BBBP administratively).
Build your revision around these four questions for every scheme rather than trying to memorise paragraph descriptions. A scheme reduced to "year + ministry + number + lineage" is four facts you can recall under pressure; a scheme remembered as a paragraph is one blur you cannot.
Quick Revision — One-Line Facts
- Jan Dhan Yojana launched 28 August 2014, gives zero-balance bank accounts with RuPay card.
- PMSBY (accident insurance) premium ₹20/year, cover ₹2 lakh.
- PMJJBY (life insurance) premium ₹436/year, cover ₹2 lakh, covers death by any cause.
- Atal Pension Yojana guarantees fixed pension ₹1,000-₹5,000 monthly after age 60.
- PMMY (MUDRA) offers collateral-free loans up to ₹20 lakh in Shishu, Kishor, Tarun, Tarun Plus slabs.
- Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY launched 23 September 2018, cover ₹5 lakh per family per year.
- PM-JAY covers 70+ senior citizens under Ayushman Vay Vandana since 2024.
- Janani Suraksha Yojana (2005) promotes institutional delivery with cash assistance.
- Mission Indradhanush (Dec 2014) targets full immunisation of children and pregnant women.
- PM-KISAN launched 24 February 2019, gives ₹6,000/year in three instalments, 100% Centre-funded.
- PMFBY (2016) crop insurance premiums: kharif 2%, rabi 1.5%, commercial/horticulture 5%.
- Kisan Credit Card scheme launched 1998, gives short-term farm credit.
- Soil Health Card scheme launched 2015, issued every two years.
- Skill India Mission and PMKVY launched 15 July 2015 (World Youth Skills Day).
- Startup India launched 16 January 2016, has a Fund of Funds worth ₹10,000 crore via SIDBI.
- Make in India launched 25 September 2014, symbol is a lion made of gears.
- Digital India launched 1 July 2015, rests on three pillars of infrastructure, governance, empowerment.
- Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan announced May 2020, five pillars including PLI scheme.
- PMAY-Urban launched 2015; PMAY-Gramin launched 2016, replacing Indira Awas Yojana.
- Swachh Bharat Mission launched 2 October 2014; India declared ODF in October 2019.
- AMRUT (2015) targets water supply, sewerage, and green spaces in 500 cities.
- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao launched 22 January 2015 from Panipat, Haryana.
- Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana launched same day as BBBP, matures when girl turns 21.
- Ujjwala Yojana launched 1 May 2016 from Ballia, UP, gives free LPG connections to BPL women.
- ICDS launched 1975, delivers nutrition and pre-school education via Anganwadi centres.
- Mission Shakti (2021-22) has two sub-schemes: Sambal (safety) and Samarthya (empowerment).
- MGNREGA enacted 2005, implemented 2006, guarantees 100 days rural wage employment as a legal right.
- Atal Bhujal Yojana (2019) targets groundwater management in seven water-stressed states.
- NPS opened to all citizens in 2009; returns are market-linked unlike APY's fixed pension.
- PM Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan provides free antenatal checkups on the 9th of every month.
Memory Tables
Table 1: Scheme, Year, and One Core Number
| Scheme | Launch Year | Core Number/Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Jan Dhan Yojana | 2014 | Zero-balance account, RuPay card |
| PMSBY | 2015 | ₹20/year premium, ₹2 lakh cover |
| PMJJBY | 2015 | ₹436/year premium, ₹2 lakh cover |
| Atal Pension Yojana | 2015 | ₹1,000-₹5,000 monthly pension |
| Mudra Yojana | 2015 | Loans up to ₹20 lakh |
| Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY | 2018 | ₹5 lakh/family/year cover |
| PM-KISAN | 2019 | ₹6,000/year, 3 instalments |
| PMFBY | 2016 | Premium 2% kharif, 1.5% rabi |
| Startup India | 2016 | ₹10,000 crore Fund of Funds |
| Make in India | 2014 | 25 sectors, gear-lion logo |
| Digital India | 2015 | 3 pillars |
| Swachh Bharat Mission | 2014 | ODF declared 2019 |
| Beti Bachao Beti Padhao | 2015 | Launched from Panipat |
| Ujjwala Yojana | 2016 | Launched from Ballia, UP |
| MGNREGA | 2005/2006 | 100 days guaranteed employment |
Table 2: Sector-Wise Grouping for Quick Recall
| Sector | Schemes |
|---|---|
| Financial Inclusion | Jan Dhan, PMSBY, PMJJBY, Atal Pension Yojana, Mudra Yojana |
| Health | Ayushman Bharat (HWC + PM-JAY), PMSMA, JSY, Mission Indradhanush |
| Agriculture | PM-KISAN, PMFBY, KCC, Soil Health Card |
| Skill/Enterprise | Skill India/PMKVY, Startup India, Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat |
| Housing/Urban | PMAY-U, PMAY-G, Swachh Bharat Mission, AMRUT |
| Women/Child | BBBP, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, ICDS, Mission Shakti |
| Employment/Security | MGNREGA, NPS, Atal Bhujal Yojana |
Practice MCQs
Q1. In which year was the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana launched? (a) 2014 (b) 2015 (c) 2016 (d) 2019
Q2. What is the annual premium under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)? (a) ₹12 (b) ₹20 (c) ₹330 (d) ₹436
Q3. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY provides a health cover of how much per family per year? (a) ₹1 lakh (b) ₹2 lakh (c) ₹5 lakh (d) ₹10 lakh
Q4. PM-KISAN provides income support of how much per year to eligible farmer families? (a) ₹4,000 (b) ₹6,000 (c) ₹8,000 (d) ₹12,000
Q5. Which scheme was launched from Panipat, Haryana on 22 January 2015? (a) Ujjwala Yojana (b) Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (c) Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (d) Swachh Bharat Mission
Q6. Under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, what is the farmer's premium share for kharif crops? (a) 1.5% (b) 2% (c) 5% (d) 10%
Q7. Which ministry primarily administers the Jan Dhan Yojana? (a) Ministry of Rural Development (b) Ministry of Finance (c) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (d) Ministry of Skill Development
Q8. MGNREGA guarantees how many days of wage employment per rural household per financial year? (a) 50 days (b) 75 days (c) 100 days (d) 150 days
Q9. The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana's "Shishu" loan category covers loans up to what amount? (a) ₹20,000 (b) ₹50,000 (c) ₹5 lakh (d) ₹10 lakh
Q10. Which scheme replaced the earlier Indira Awas Yojana? (a) PMAY-Urban (b) PMAY-Gramin (c) AMRUT (d) Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin
Q11. Digital India, launched on 1 July 2015, rests on how many core pillars? (a) Two (b) Three (c) Four (d) Five
Q12. Which of the following schemes is the oldest, predating the others by decades? (a) Startup India (b) Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (c) Ayushman Bharat (d) PM-KISAN
Q13. Under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, what event is covered? (a) Only accidental death (b) Death by any cause (c) Only permanent disability (d) Only hospitalisation
Q14. Atal Bhujal Yojana, launched in 2019, primarily addresses which issue? (a) Urban housing shortage (b) Groundwater depletion (c) Crop insurance (d) Girl child education
Q15. Mission Shakti's two sub-schemes are named: (a) Suraksha and Samman (b) Sambal and Samarthya (c) Shakti and Samriddhi (d) Sanrakshan and Samarthya
Answer Key
| Q | Answer | One-line reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (a) 2014 | Jan Dhan Yojana was launched 28 August 2014, the pipe that later schemes' DBT flows through. |
| 2 | (b) ₹20 | PMSBY's premium was revised upward from ₹12 to ₹20 per year in 2022. |
| 3 | (c) ₹5 lakh | PM-JAY's headline number is ₹5 lakh per family per year, the figure examiners test most. |
| 4 | (b) ₹6,000 | PM-KISAN pays ₹6,000 yearly in three instalments of ₹2,000 each. |
| 5 | (c) Beti Bachao Beti Padhao | Launched from Panipat on 22 January 2015, the same day as Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana. |
| 6 | (b) 2% | Kharif premium is 2%, rabi is 1.5% — remember kharif's longer season pairs with the higher number. |
| 7 | (b) Ministry of Finance | Financial inclusion schemes like Jan Dhan fall under the Ministry of Finance, not Rural Development. |
| 8 | (c) 100 days | MGNREGA is a legal right to 100 days of unskilled wage work per household per year. |
| 9 | (b) ₹50,000 | Shishu covers up to ₹50,000; Kishor goes up to ₹5 lakh, Tarun up to ₹10 lakh. |
| 10 | (b) PMAY-Gramin | PMAY-G, launched 2016, replaced the older Indira Awas Yojana for rural housing. |
| 11 | (b) Three | Digital India stands on infrastructure, governance and services, and digital empowerment. |
| 12 | (b) ICDS | ICDS dates to 1975, decades before the 2014-2019 flagship scheme wave. |
| 13 | (b) Death by any cause | PMJJBY is a life insurance cover for death by any cause, unlike PMSBY's accident-only cover. |
| 14 | (b) Groundwater depletion | Atal Bhujal Yojana targets community-based groundwater management in stressed states. |
| 15 | (b) Sambal and Samarthya | Mission Shakti's two arms stand for safety (Sambal) and empowerment (Samarthya). |