Correct Answer is (d) 17:

The United Nations adopted the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” in September 2015. At the heart of this global blueprint are exactly 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 specific targets designed to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all by the year 2030.

If you missed this during our 2018 paper breakdown, here is the foolproof narrative method to memorize all 17 goals in exact order:

“Poor Hungry Hippos Eat Green Watermelons. Every worker in unequal cities consume cold orange lemonade, perfectly poured.”

Do not confuse the UN Agenda 2030 with the previous UN agenda!

• MDGs (Millennium Development Goals): Launched in 2000, expired in 2015. There were only 8 goals. They were primarily aimed at developing countries.
• SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals): Launched in 2015, expire in 2030. There are 17 goals. They are universal, meaning they apply to rich, developed nations just as much as poor nations.

Correct Answer is (c) 7% – 7.5%:

This was the estimated Real GDP growth rate projected by the Chief Economic Advisor in the Economic Survey for the financial year 2018-19. Because this is an old, time-specific factual question, the exact number is no longer relevant for your upcoming exam.

Even though the data changes, the concept of how the government projects growth remains exactly the same. Here is what you need to understand when reading the latest survey:

Correct Answer is (b) 7.1%:

This was the specific monthly data for the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in December 2017. Because IIP is released every single month, this specific figure is completely obsolete for your current preparation.

While the monthly data changes, the structural facts about the IIP are static and highly tested in State PSCs. Here is the core technical data you must memorize:

Correct Answer is (d) Arunachal Pradesh: 34.7%, Bihar: 33.7%, Chhattisgarh: 39.9%, Manipur: 36.9%:

This specific dataset is from the 2011-12 poverty estimates released by the erstwhile Planning Commission. It was based on the Tendulkar Committee Methodology, which calculated poverty purely based on Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE). Under that specific 2011-12 calculation, Chhattisgarh recorded the highest poverty ratio among these options.

Instead of just looking at money, the Multidimensional Poverty Index looks at whether people suffer multiple overlapping deprivations in health, education, and living standards. Here is the static structure you must memorize for the exam:

• Top/Bottom States: Which state has the highest percentage of multidimensionally poor? (Historically Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, UP). Which state has the lowest? (Historically Kerala, Goa, Sikkim).
• Fastest Reducers: Which states recorded the steepest decline in poverty headcount?
• Himachal’s Rank: Exactly what percentage of HP’s population is multidimensionally poor according to the latest release, and how much did it drop compared to the previous baseline?

Correct Answer is (c) Tomato Onion Potato:

Operation Greens was announced in the Union Budget 2018-19 on the lines of “Operation Flood” (White Revolution for milk). Its primary objective was to stabilize the supply and prices of the three most highly consumed and price-volatile vegetables in India: Tomato, Onion, and Potato (TOP). It aims to protect both the farmers (from distress sales when prices crash) and the consumers (from sudden price spikes).

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and the most heavily tested sector in civil services. Here is the categorized, high-yield cheat sheet of every major agricultural scheme you need to know.

I. Income Support, Insurance & Credit

• 1. PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi): Direct cash transfer of ₹6,000 per year (in three equal installments of ₹2,000) to all landholding farmer families.
• 2. PMFBY (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana): Comprehensive crop insurance. Farmers pay a flat premium of 1.5% for Rabi, 2% for Kharif, and 5% for commercial/horticultural crops.
• 3. KCC (Kisan Credit Card): Provides farmers with timely access to short-term credit at concessional interest rates. Now expanded to cover Animal Husbandry and Fisheries.
• 4. PM Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY): A voluntary and contributory pension scheme providing a guaranteed minimum pension of ₹3,000/month to small and marginal farmers after age 60.

II. Irrigation, Infrastructure & Energy

• 5. PMKSY (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana): Focuses on expanding cultivable area under assured irrigation and improving water efficiency. Motto: “Har Khet Ko Pani” and “Per Drop More Crop”.
• 6. PM-KUSUM: Provides subsidies to farmers for installing standalone solar pumps and setting up grid-connected solar power plants on barren land to earn extra income by selling power to DISCOMs.
• 7. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF): A ₹1 Lakh Crore financing facility to build post-harvest management infrastructure (cold storages, warehouses, silos) at the community farming level.

III. Markets, Pricing & Food Processing

• 8. e-NAM (National Agriculture Market): A pan-India electronic trading portal that networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities.
• 9. PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan): Ensures farmers get remunerative prices for their produce through Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), and Private Procurement.
• 10. PM-FME (Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises): Provides financial, technical, and business support to upgrade existing micro food processing enterprises (e.g., local pickle or papad makers) under the “One District One Product” (ODOP) approach.

IV. Sustainable & Organic Farming

• 11. PKVY (Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana): Promotes cluster-based organic farming with Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification.
• 12. Soil Health Card Scheme: Provides farmers with a card indicating the nutrient status of their soil along with recommendations on the appropriate dosage of fertilizers to improve yield and reduce urea overuse.
• 13. NMSA (National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture): Focuses on climate-resilient agriculture, including rainfed area development and soil health management.

Correct Answer is (c) Rs. 10 lakh – 1 crore:

The Stand-Up India Scheme was launched on April 5, 2016, with a very specific mandate: to promote entrepreneurship at the grassroots level among marginalized groups. It facilitates bank loans ranging strictly between ₹10 Lakh and ₹1 Crore for setting up a new enterprise.

Because the names sound identical and they were launched around the same time (early 2016), examiners love to swap their features in multiple-choice questions. You must know exactly how to tell them apart.

Correct Answer is (b) 12.9%:

According to the 2011 Census, the decadal population growth rate of Himachal Pradesh (for the period 2001–2011) was exactly 12.94%, which the examiners rounded to 12.9%. This was a significant drop from the 17.54% growth rate recorded in the previous decade (1991–2001), indicating strong success in family planning and population stabilization within the state.

Because the 2021 Census has been infinitely delayed, the 2011 Census data remains the absolute gold standard for all State PSC exams. You must memorize these specific figures for Himachal Pradesh:

Correct Answer is (a) Mission Rainbow:

The phrase “Mission Rainbow” in this question is simply the literal English translation of Mission Indradhanush. Launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on December 25, 2014, its ultimate objective was to ensure that all children under the age of two years, as well as pregnant women, are fully immunized against preventable diseases by the year 2020.

Mission Indradhanush was designed to catch the “left-outs” and “drop-outs”—children who either missed their vaccines entirely or only got a partial dosage under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).

Correct Answer is (b) 51%:

This was a purely factual, current-affairs-based question drawn directly from the Global Nutrition Report 2017. At that time, the report highlighted a severe public health crisis in India, noting that over half (51%) of women of reproductive age were suffering from anaemia.

Anaemia is a condition where the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal, severely impacting oxygen transport. Here is what you need to know for the exam:

Correct Answer is (c) Rs. 1.38 lakh crore:

This question directly lifted the total budget estimate for the “Social Sector” from the Union Budget 2018-19. Naturally, this specific figure of ₹1.38 lakh crore is now a relic of the past and entirely irrelevant for your upcoming HPAS attempt.

When the new budget is released (usually in February), create a 1-page cheat sheet focusing only on these four strategic areas:

Correct Answer is (c) 10 crore and Rs 5 lakh:

When the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) was announced in the 2018-19 budget, its initial target was to provide ₹5 Lakh per year in health insurance to the bottom 10 crore vulnerable families (roughly 50 crore individuals, or the bottom 40% of India’s population) based on the SECC 2011 database.

Ayushman Bharat is not just an insurance scheme; it is a comprehensive, two-pronged approach to overhaul India’s healthcare system.

• No Caps: There is absolutely no cap on family size, age, or gender. (Unlike older insurance schemes that capped families at 5 members).
• Pre-existing Diseases: All pre-existing conditions are covered from Day 1. There is no waiting period.
• Portability: The scheme is nationally portable. A beneficiary from Himachal Pradesh can avail cashless treatment at an empanelled hospital in Mumbai or Delhi.
• Funding: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). The funding ratio is generally 60:40 for normal states and 90:10 for Himalayan/North-Eastern states (like Himachal Pradesh).

Correct Answer is (d) 100:

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan (SBA) on October 2, 2014, he administered a “Swachhata Pledge” to the nation. As part of this pledge, every citizen is expected to voluntarily dedicate 100 hours per year (which translates to roughly 2 hours per week) towards ‘Shramdaan’ (voluntary labor) for cleanliness.

One of the most common ways examiners trap students is by mixing up the implementing ministries. Swachh Bharat is actually implemented as two distinct sub-missions by two completely different ministries.

Because Phase 1 achieved the basic ODF status, the government launched Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0. For your upcoming exams, you must know the new terminology, as it has moved beyond just building toilets to comprehensive waste management.

• ODF+ (Plus): A city/village is ODF+ if not a single person is found defecating or urinating in the open, AND all community and public toilets are functional and well-maintained.
• ODF++ (Double Plus): This is the advanced level. It means achieving ODF+ status AND ensuring that all fecal sludge/septage and sewage is safely managed and treated, with no untreated sludge discharged into water bodies.
• Garbage Free Cities (GFC) Star Rating: A new protocol under SBM-Urban 2.0 to ensure legacy dumpsites are cleared and solid waste is scientifically processed.