Chapter Overview

Mains Paper VII (GS-V) is the “welfare paper” of CGPSC. It expects you to know what the major welfare schemes are, but marks are earned by explaining how they are designed, whether they work, and what should change. This chapter is built for that. It covers central welfare schemes (कल्याणकारी योजनाएँ), Chhattisgarh’s own schemes, and women and child development, and ends with a toolkit for evaluating any scheme.

Schemes change every budget: they are renamed, merged, extended or replaced (MGNREGA itself was replaced by the VB-G RAM G Act from 1 July 2026). Every amount and status in this chapter is therefore dated, as of 2026.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to:

Explain the constitutional basis of welfare (Directive Principles) and the difference between Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored schemes
Recall the flagship central schemes for food, health, housing, water, energy, work and tribal areas, with their key numbers
Trace Chhattisgarh’s welfare policy through three phases and analyse Mahtari Vandan, Krishak Unnati, the PDS and Niyad Nellanar
Describe the three missions of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (Poshan 2.0, Shakti, Vatsalya) and Chhattisgarh’s nutrition data
Evaluate any scheme using targeting, instrument, delivery, effect and sustainability, and write a balanced answer on the freebies vs welfare debate

Prerequisites

Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties: the constitutional source of welfare
Poverty, Unemployment and Inclusive Growth: poverty measurement and employment programmes
Economy, Budget and State Schemes: the Prelims facts of Chhattisgarh’s schemes

Learning Path

Follow these topics in order:

graph TD
    A["1. Central welfare schemes: architecture and flagships"] --> B["2. Chhattisgarh welfare schemes: a Mains analysis"]
    B --> C["3. Women and child development"]
    C --> D["4. Evaluating welfare schemes: design, delivery, debates"]
    D --> E["Quick Revision"]

Topics in This Chapter

#	Topic	What it covers	Read time
1	Central Welfare Schemes: Architecture and Flagships	DPSP basis, Central Sector vs CSS, 2015 rationalisation, DBT and JAM; NFSA, PM-JAY, PMAY, JJM, SBM, Ujjwala, VB-G RAM G, PM-JANMAN	14 min
2	Chhattisgarh Welfare Schemes: A Mains Analysis	Three phases since 2003; Mahtari Vandan, Krishak Unnati, landless aid, PDS, State health assurance, Niyad Nellanar; outcomes and critiques	13 min
3	Women and Child Development	Constitutional and legal basis; Poshan 2.0 and anganwadis; Mission Shakti; PMMVY; Mission Vatsalya; Chhattisgarh’s sex ratio, NFHS-5 nutrition and State schemes	14 min
4	Evaluating Welfare Schemes: Design, Delivery and Debates	Rights vs schemes, targeting errors, cash vs kind, CCTs, DBT, social audit, fiscal federalism, freebies debate, the TIDES framework	12 min
—	Quick Revision	Every scheme, date and number of the chapter on one page	5 min

Where It Is Asked

Exam Focus

Mains P-VII GS-V: the home paper. Expect short answers (“Explain Mission Shakti”, “What is PMMVY?”) and long answers (“Evaluate the Mahtari Vandan Yojana”, “Cash vs kind transfers”, “Role of anganwadis in fighting malnutrition”, “Freebies or welfare?”).
Mains P-II Essay: welfare state, women’s empowerment and “development with dignity” are natural essay themes; Chhattisgarh’s PDS is a strong example.
Prelims P-I: scheme facts overlap with the Economy and Chhattisgarh chapters (launch dates, amounts, eligibility); this chapter’s MCQs practise them.
Interview: boards often ask a candidate from Chhattisgarh whether State cash transfers are sustainable and how a district officer would measure their impact.

Quick Reference (as of 2026)

Fact	Detail
Welfare DPSPs	Art 38, 39, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47
CSS funding	Core 60:40 (90:10 NE/Himalayan); optional 50:50
DBT	Since 1 January 2013, on JAM
Rural work	VB-G RAM G Act from 1 July 2026: 125 days, 60:40 (MGNREGA replaced)
PM-JAY	₹5 lakh per family per year; all 70+ since 29 October 2024
Jal Jeevan Mission	Extended to December 2028; about 82% rural households with taps (early 2026)
Mahtari Vandan	₹1,000 a month; about 67.3 lakh women (August 2026)
Krishak Unnati	Paddy at an effective ₹3,100 per quintal, up to 21 quintals an acre
CG free rice	67.92 lakh ration cards, January 2024 to December 2028
WCD missions	Poshan 2.0, Mission Shakti (Sambal + Samarthya), Mission Vatsalya
PMMVY	₹5,000 first child; ₹6,000 second child if a girl
CG NFHS-5	Stunting 34.6%; women’s anaemia 60.8%

Start Learning

Ready to begin? Start with the first topic:

→ Central Welfare Schemes: Architecture and Flagships