Which of the following options indicate one of the important objectives of (Indira Mahila) Shakti Udaan Scheme ?
- (1)Empowering women self-help groups.
- (2)Generating awareness about menstrual health and hygiene management.
- (3)Vocational training of women.
- (4)Improvement in education status of girls.
Answer
Why
Correct — option (2), Generating awareness about menstrual health and hygiene management.
Rajasthan's Economic Review 2022-23 says the IM (Indira Mahila) Shakti Udaan Scheme was launched to provide free sanitary napkins to girls and women of reproductive age across the state, with a focus on awareness of Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHHM).
The first objective it lists is "To generate awareness through effective Communication Strategy on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management (MHHM)", encouraging the use of sanitary napkins and an environment in which MHHM can be discussed.
The other four listed objectives stay on that subject: MHHM awareness in remote areas where the veil system persists, safe and free napkins, training self-help groups to produce and distribute napkins, and incentives for SHGs, civil society organisations and NGOs to take up MHHM activities. That is Generating awareness about menstrual health and hygiene management.
The idea to remember: Udaan means free sanitary napkins plus awareness of menstrual health and hygiene management.
Why the others are wrong
- (1)Empowering women self-help groups. — Self-help groups (SHGs) do appear in Udaan, but in a supporting role tied to napkins: training SHGs to produce, sell, buy and distribute sanitary napkins, and incentives for SHGs, NGOs and civil society groups to take up MHHM activities.
The Review describes Amrita Haat as a medium of economic and social empowerment of women, giving SHGs the opportunity to display and market their products.
- (3)Vocational training of women. — Vocational training is the aim of separate schemes in the Review: the Indira Mahila Shakti Prashikshan Evam Kaushal Samvardhan Yojana (free RS-CIT and RS-CFA courses, spoken English and personality development), and the IM Shakti-Kaushal Samridhi Yojana for skilling girls and women.
The training listed under Udaan is for SHGs, on producing and distributing sanitary napkins.
- (4)Improvement in education status of girls. — The Review ties this aim to Mukhya Mantri Rajshree Yojana, launched "to develop a positive attitude towards girl child in the society and improve health and education status of girl child in the State."
Rajshree gives ₹50,000 in six instalments to parents of eligible girls born on or after 1 June 2016. Udaan's objectives concern menstrual health and hygiene.
Concept
Menstrual health and hygiene management covers access to safe menstrual products such as sanitary napkins, knowing how to use them, and being able to discuss menstruation openly.
IM Shakti Udaan works on both sides. It supplies napkins free, and it runs communication and awareness work so that girls and women use them and can raise MHHM issues.
The Review points to areas where the veil system (ghunghat pratha) is still prevalent, where girls and women face health problems and find it difficult to discuss these issues.
RPSC's 2023 syllabus lists "Major Welfare Schemes of State Government" under Economy of Rajasthan, naming women and children among the groups covered.
IM Shakti Udaan sits in a family of Rajasthan women's schemes carrying the Indira Mahila Shakti name. The Economic Review 2022-23 also records the Indira Mahila Shakti Nidhi, announced with a provision of ₹1,000 crore.
The Review adds two more schemes of that name implemented by the Directorate of Women Empowerment: the Indira Mahila Shakti Udhyam Protsahan Yojana and the Indira Mahila Shakti Prashikshan Evam Kaushal Samvardhan Yojana.
Key facts
- Economic Review 2022-23: IM Shakti Udaan Scheme provides free sanitary napkins to girls and women of reproductive age across Rajasthan.
- The scheme follows the Chief Minister's budget announcement for 2021-22, which gave priority to health and hygiene.
- First phase: about 29 lakh adolescent girls and women benefited; second phase: free napkins being provided to about 1.51 crore.
- Its major components, per the Review: awareness on MHHM among girls and women, and availability of sanitary napkins.
- Mukhya Mantri Rajshree Yojana: ₹50,000 in six instalments for girls born on or after 1 June 2016, to improve girls' health and education status.
Source: Economic Review 2022-23, Government of Rajasthan, Chapter 9 (Other Social Services/Programmes).
Study next
Common traps
- SHGs appear inside Udaan, but as trained makers and distributors of sanitary napkins; the scheme's stated objectives centre on menstrual health and hygiene.
- Similar names in the Indira Mahila Shakti family: Udaan is the napkin and MHHM scheme, Prashikshan Evam Kaushal Samvardhan is a training scheme, and Shakti Nidhi is the fund.
- Girls' education status is Rajshree's aim in the Review; menstrual hygiene promotion also appears in the Scheme for Adolescent Girls, so a hygiene objective alone does not always mean Udaan.
A question can name a Rajasthan women's scheme and ask for its main objective, or state an objective and ask for the scheme.
A question can also ask for a scheme's coverage figures, its phases, or the budget in which it was announced.
Related PYQs
UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2021 and 2018 here once those papers are published on this site.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
According to Rajasthan's Economic Review 2022-23, in the second phase of the IM Shakti Udaan Scheme free sanitary napkins are being provided to about
- (a)29 lakh adolescent girls and women
- (b)51 lakh adolescent girls and women
- (c)1.51 crore adolescent girls and women
- (d)2.9 crore adolescent girls and women
Answer(3) — The Review gives about 1.51 crore for the second phase. Option (1) is the number who benefited in the first phase. Options (2) and (4) are not figures the Review gives for the scheme. - practice — not a real PYQ
As per Rajasthan's Economic Review 2022-23, which scheme was launched to develop a positive attitude towards the girl child and improve the health and education status of girls in the State?
- (a)IM Shakti Udaan Scheme
- (b)Mukhya Mantri Rajshree Yojana
- (c)Palanhar Yojana
- (d)Amrita Haat
Answer(2) — The Review uses these words for Mukhya Mantri Rajshree Yojana. Option (1) provides free sanitary napkins and MHHM awareness, option (3) supports orphans and children in difficult circumstances, and option (4) markets products of women's self-help groups.