UPSC Prelims 2006 · General Studies
Question 22: Economy and Social Development
Consider the following statements in respect of welfare schemes launched by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India:
- 1.Drinking water for rural areas is one of the components of the Bharat Nirman Plan.
- 2.In the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 there is a provision that the statutory minimum wage applicable to agriculture workers in the State has to be paid to the workers under the Act.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
AnswerThe answer is (c).
Bharat Nirman (2005) covered irrigation, rural roads, rural housing, drinking water, electrification and rural telephony, so statement 1 is correct. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 ties pay to minimum wages: until the Centre notifies a wage rate, the minimum wage fixed by the State for agricultural labourers applies. So statement 2 is also correct, as the Act stood in 2006.
- 1. Rural drinking water is a Bharat Nirman component.
- 2. The Act fixes wages by the State's agricultural minimum wage until a rate is notified.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (b) and (d) go: each of them leaves 1 out.
What you needed to know: Rural drinking water is a Bharat Nirman component.
- Then, if you were sure statement 2 is correct, (a) goes: it leaves 2 out.
What you needed to know: The Act fixes wages by the State's agricultural minimum wage until a rate is notified.
Only (c) is left. This one needs every statement.
This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Statement 2 is also correct, so this is incomplete.
- (b) Statement 1 is also correct, so this is incomplete.
- (c) Correct: both Bharat Nirman's drinking water component and the NREGA wage provision hold.
- (d) Both statements are correct, so 'neither' is wrong.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2006, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.