Which of the following statements about ‘Jalvahak’ is/are correct? 1. It is a newly commissioned naval ship inducted into Indian Navy 2. It is a major policy for cargo promotion unveiled by the Government of India Select the answer using the code given below:
- (a)1 only
- (b)2 only
- (c)Both 1 and 2
- (d)Neither 1 nor 2
Correct — B, 2 only. 'Jalvahak' is a cargo-promotion scheme for inland waterways, launched by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (through the Inland Waterways Authority of India) in December 2024; it reimburses up to 35% of the operating cost of moving cargo by river. It is a policy, not a naval ship, so statement 1 is false and only statement 2 is correct.
- (a)1 only — This reverses the truth. Jalvahak is not a naval ship, so statement 1 is wrong; it is statement 2 (the cargo-promotion policy) that is correct.
- (c)Both 1 and 2 — Statement 1 is false — there is no naval vessel named Jalvahak inducted into the Indian Navy — so both statements cannot be correct.
- (d)Neither 1 nor 2 — Statement 2 is true — Jalvahak is a genuine Government cargo-promotion scheme for inland waterways — so 'neither' is wrong.
Jalvahak is a cargo incentive scheme meant to shift freight from congested road and rail to India's inland waterways. It offers vessel operators reimbursement of up to 35% of operating expenditure for cargo moved on the eligible waterways, and aims to raise the volume of goods carried by river.
NDA current-affairs traps often disguise a scheme as a piece of hardware. The word 'Jalvahak' means 'water carrier', which nudges you toward imagining a ship; but it is the name of a cargo-movement policy, so only statement 2 holds.
- Jalvahak is a cargo-promotion scheme for inland waterways launched in December 2024, not a naval vessel.
- It reimburses up to 35% of operating expenditure for cargo moved on the eligible waterways.
- Eligible routes include National Waterway-1 (Ganga), NW-2 (Brahmaputra) and NW-16 (Barak).
- It is run by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways through the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
Only statement 2 is correct — hence option (b), '2 only'.
- A Hindi/Sanskrit scheme name that sounds like a vehicle is often a policy, not hardware — read the statements literally.
- Do not confuse Jalvahak (inland-waterways cargo scheme) with any naval vessel.
Government schemes are asked as two-statement 'is/are correct' items, with one statement deliberately misdescribing the scheme as something else (a ship, an award, an app).
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Jalvahak scheme is associated with which mode of transport?
- (a)Dedicated rail freight corridors
- (b)Inland waterways cargo movement
- (c)National highways
- (d)Regional air connectivity
Answer(b) Inland waterways cargo movement — it incentivises moving freight by river.
- practice — not a real PYQ
National Waterway-1 of India runs along which river?
- (a)Brahmaputra
- (b)Godavari
- (c)Ganga
- (d)Barak
Answer(c) Ganga — NW-1 runs along the Ganga (Haldia to Prayagraj/Varanasi stretch).