Social Welfare Legislation and Programs | Kerala PSC Study Material

This article will give you short notes on various social welfare legislation and programs which are important for Kerala PSC examination. The topics covered here include social service legislation like Right to Information Act (RTI), Right to Education Act (RTE), Prevention of atrocities against women and children, food security act and social welfare programs like employment guarantee program, ICDS, TRYSEM, IRDP, DWRA, RLEGP, IAY, JRY, MWS, PMRY, BSY, GKY, SAY, SGSY, Antyodaya Anna Yojana, PGSY, SGRY, Swajaldhara, VAMBAY, PGY, NFWP, Bharat Nirman, PMAGY etc. The following social welfare schemes and programs are frequently asked in Kerala PSC examinations.

ICDS

• Integrated Child Development Scheme
• ICDS was started in the year 1975 by the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• It is accredited as the World's biggest integrated initiative for child welfare. World Bank & UNICEF used to provide assistance to this scheme.
• The scheme was initiated during the 5th five-year plan period.
• Major beneficiaries of this scheme are pregnant ladies, lactating mothers and children between the age 0 to 6. Along with this, the scheme also provides nutrition and educate (women between 15 to 45-age) about health.  
• Anganvadis' are the centers chosen to initiate the scheme at the local level. Anganwadi services aim at the holistic development of children below the age of 6 years.
• Sabla Scheme (Scheme for Adolescent Girls) is a subscheme under ICDS. This scheme is to facilitate. educate and empower Adolescent girls so as to enable them to become self-reliant and aware citizens.

TRYSEM

• Training to Rural Youth for Self Employment.
• This was aimed at giving self-employment opportunities to village youths.
• It was started on 15th August 1979.
• This scheme was merged to Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana on 1st April 1999.

IRDP

• Integrated Rural Development Program
• This scheme was aimed at improving the financial earnings of poor families in villages.
• It was started on 2nd October 1980.
• This scheme was merged to Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana on 1st April 1999.

DWRA

• Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas
• This scheme was started along with IRDP and started in September 1982.
• The program was aimed at promoting self-employment to Women below the poverty line in villages.
• This scheme was merged to Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana on 1st April 1999.

RLEGP

• Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Program
• It aimed at providing employment to weaker section especially landless. At least one member of every landless household is provided employment.
• The scheme guaranteed 100 days employment a year to the beneficiaries.
• The scheme was initiated by Indira Gandhi on 15th August 1983.

Indira Awas Yojana

• Indira Awas Yojana was started as a sidekick to RLEGP in the year 1985-86.
• The scheme was started by then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi targeted on the rural population.
• From 1989 April onwards it was placed under Jawahar Rozgar Yojana and later turned independent on 1st January 1996.

Jawahar Rozgar Yojana

• National Rural Employment Program (NREP) and RLEGP were merged to form Jawahar Rozgar Yojana.
• The initiative made by Rajiv Gandhi and started on 1st April 1989 on the 7th Five-year plan.
• This scheme aimed at providing employment to those under BPL in rural areas. It guarantees 90 to 100 days work in a year.
• Panchayati Raj institutions were given the authorities and the financial support for this scheme was from district rural authority.
• On 1st April 1999, the scheme was replaced with Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana. Later on 25th September 2001, it was merged with Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana.

MWS

• This scheme was aimed at digging wells to the poor and needy farmers.
• It was started during 1988-1989.
• This scheme was merged to Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana on 1st April 1999.

Mahila Samridhi Yojana

• The scheme was an initiative made by National women and children welfare authority.
• P. V Narasimha Rao, the then-Prime Minister, started the scheme on 2nd October 1993 in 8th Five Year Plan period.
• The scheme aimed at encouraging women under 18 years of age thereby developing self-proficiency.

Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojana

• Started on 2nd October 1993, by then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao.
• This Yojana is aimed at self-employing the unemployed educated youth of the country.
• Till 1993-94, the scheme concentrated only on city-based educated unemployed youth. However, after 1994-95, a scheme for educated and unemployed youth (SEEUY) was added to this with an aim to spread out all over the country. 

Balika Samrudhi Yojana

• This scheme was aimed at upliftment of girls.
• It was started in 15th August 1997.
• IK Gujral was the Prime Minister when this scheme was started.
• It was started during the 9th Five-year plan.

Ganga Kalyan Yojana

• This scheme was initiated to provide irrigation facilities to the farmers in India.
• It was started on 1st February 1997.
• This scheme was merged to Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana on 1st April 1999.

Samagra Aawas Yojana

• This scheme was started in 1998 during the 9th Five-year plan.
• A B Vajpayee was the Prime Minister during this plan.
• This scheme was aimed at improving the quality of life of the rural population.

Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)

• It was started on 1st April 1999 by the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee.
• This was aimed at poverty alleviation in villages of India along with promoting self-employment to the rural population.
• SGSY is a merger of IRDP, DWCRA, SITRA, TRYSEM, MWS, and GKY. 

Antyodaya Anna Yojana

• Aimed at poorest of the poor.
• Poor people were given food grain in lowest of the prices. A yellow color Antyodaya ration card is distributed to the beneficiaries.
• It was started on 25th December 2000 by A B Vajpayee in Rajasthan.
• It was started during 9th Five year period.

Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana

• This is 100% central sponsored scheme.
• It was started on 25th December 2000 for developing the roads in the rural areas of the country.

Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana

• Employment Assurance Scheme & Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana were merged to form this scheme.
• It was started on 25th September 2001 during 9th Five Year Plan.
• This Yojana was under the leadership of the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee.
• This scheme was assured to give employment and food grains at cheap prices for the people below the poverty line.

Swajaldhara Scheme

• A scheme started for improving the availability of pure water in rural areas of the country.
• It was started on 25th December 2002. 

Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana (VAMBAY)

• This scheme was proposed for the better living condition of the urban slum dwellers and people living below poverty line in urban areas of the country.
• It was started on 2nd December 2001 on Hyderabad under the leadership of the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee during the 9th five-year plan.
• VAMBAY merged with National Slum Development Program to form Integrated Housing and Slum Development Program.
• The new program was started on 3rd December 2005 along with Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. 

Pradhanmantri Gramodyog Yojana

• This program was started on 2000-2001 which is aimed at improving basic health care facilities, primary education, housing, drinking water facilities, electrification and nutrition aspects in rural areas of the country.
• The financial incentives for this scheme were completely borne by the Central Government.

National Food for Work Program

• It was started on 14th November 2004, during the 10th five-year plan.
• Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister of India during this period.
• The wages of workers in this program was given the form of cash and food grains.
• This scheme was later joined to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program (MGNREGA). 

Bharat Nirman

• Started during the 10th five-year period by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
• This scheme was aimed at improving basic infrastructure facilities in villages like irrigation, construction of roads, construction of houses, drinking water facilities, electrification, development in telecommunication etc.

Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY)

• This scheme was started by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 18 BB Village in Sree Ganganagar, Rajasthan on 23rd July 2010.
• It was started during the 11th five-year plan.
• This scheme was aimed at the development of villages where more than 50% of the inhabitants are Scheduled Caste.

This ends the discussion of important social welfare schemes for Kerala PSC examination. Now let us discuss RTE and RTI. 

RTE (Right to Education) Act,2010

The right of children to free and compulsory Education Act was passed by the Indian Parliament on 4th August 2009 and came into force on 1st April 2010. 86th amendment of Indian Constitution made Education a fundamental right. Thus India became one of the 135 countries to make education as a fundamental right. The act provides the opportunity for free and compulsory education of children between 6 to 14 in India. 86th amendment of the Constitution made changes in Article 21A, Article 45, Article 51A. According to the changes, the state shall provide free and compulsory education for all children between age 6 to 14, it shall also endeavor to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the prescribed age (6 to 14). Article 51A, Clause 'K' declare that he who is a parent or guardian should provide the child between the age of 6 to 14 the opportunity to get educated. Some of the important features of RTE are as follows.

• The act provides free and compulsory education for children  between 6 to 14
• There will be no screening test and no donation
• No schools can be operated without the approval of the government.
for lower primary 1 to 5th standard school facility within one kilometer and upper primary within 3 kilometers,
• There will be no fees for education
• From 1st to 8th standard no failure rate. Drope outs students have to provide entry into next class-based on his or her age
• Students suffering from learning disability should have the right to free and compulsory education.
• No physical punishment or mental torture
• Provisions for the school management committee with Parents Teachers  and local body coordination
• 25% of the seats will be reserved for backward class children in aided and government schools
• Pre-school education to children between 3 to 6 years will be ensured.
• Teachers should qualify the Teachers' Eligibility Test.
• The curriculum should be on the basis of all-round development 
• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamika Shiksha Abhiyan(RMSA) are central schemes of education 
• SSA focus on the improvement of primary education while RMSA on the improvement of secondary education.
• SSA program began in the year 2000-2001ended on 2010-11and RMSA began in 2011-12 academic year.
• Implementation of RTE 2010 will be observed by the Child Rights Commission.

RTI(Right to Information) Act 2005

RTI Act came into force on June 16th, 2005. The Right to Information is recognized as the core of meaningful citizen participation in a democracy. During British reign disclosure of state information was done by the Official Secretaries act of 1889. RTI Act empowers the applicant citizen to obtain copies of permissible government documents. It promotes the accountability of the administrative machinery transparency, corruption-free governance, prevents wastage etc. Goa and Tamil Nadu are the first states to enact RTI Act. Still, certain information is excluded from RTI Act 2015. RTI Act provides the citizen to inspect permissible governmental works and obtain samples. Private bodies are not within the Act's ambit directly. RTI Act 2015 covers all over India except Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act 2004 and its 2008 amendment is in force. Central Govt. and State Govt. is vested with powers to make rules to carry out the provisions of RTI Act 2005.

For more contents and syllabus wise study materials based on Kerala PSC previous year question papers, refer to the below ebook. Click on the image to get the same and read the table of contents in the book mentioned below the image. 

Table of contents in this ebook

Other Useful Links

• Kerala Renaissance Study Material for PSC exams

• Kerala Geography Study Material for PSC exams

• Indian Constitution Study Material for PSC exams

• Social Welfare Schemes & Programs Study Material for PSC exams

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