The 'Saras Ajeevika Mela - 2021' was organised in which of the following city?
- (a)Patna
- (b)Raipur
- (c)Lucknow
- (d)Noida
Correct — D, Noida. The Saras Aajeevika Mela is a marketing fair run under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Ministry of Rural Development, which gives rural women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) a national platform to sell their handloom, handicraft and processed-food products. As per the official answer key, the 2021 edition was held at Noida (Uttar Pradesh).
- (a)Patna — Wrong — while such livelihood fairs are held in many cities, the official key records the 2021 Saras Aajeevika Mela venue as Noida, not Patna.
- (b)Raipur — Wrong — Raipur is a distractor; the 2021 edition named in the key was organised at Noida.
- (c)Lucknow — Wrong — Lucknow is the state capital and hosts many events, but the 2021 Saras Aajeevika Mela in the key was held at Noida.
The Saras Aajeevika Mela is organised under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development. Its purpose is to bring rural women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from across India onto a single national marketplace so they can directly sell handloom, handicraft and food products, cutting out middlemen and building their livelihoods.
This is a current-affairs recall question about where a specific edition of the fair was held. The concept a student should carry is the parent scheme (DAY-NRLM) and the SHG-marketing purpose; the exact host city is edition-specific and must be taken from the key (2021 = Noida). Don't over-read the venue into a permanent fact — these melas rotate across cities.
- Saras Aajeevika Mela is held under DAY-NRLM (Ministry of Rural Development).
- Purpose: a national marketing platform for rural women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
- Products showcased: handloom, handicrafts and processed rural foods.
- Per the official key, the 2021 edition was organised at Noida (Uttar Pradesh).
- DAY-NRLM — Ministry of Rural Development
- Rural women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
- Saras Aajeevika Mela — national marketing platform
- Direct market access & higher income for SHGs
A DAY-NRLM fair that markets SHG products; the 2021 edition (per key) was held at Noida.
- Treating the host city of one edition as a permanent fact — these melas rotate across cities
- Confusing DAY-NRLM (rural livelihoods) with DAY-NULM (the urban livelihoods mission)
UPPSC & UPSC ask 'which scheme / which ministry' for such fairs, and current-affairs questions ask where a particular edition was held — anchor on DAY-NRLM + SHG marketing.
How does the National Rural Livelihood Mission seek to improve livelihood options of rural poor? 1. By setting up a large number of new manufacturing industries and agribusiness centres in rural areas 2. By strengthening 'self-help groups' and providing skill development 3. By supplying seeds, fertilizers, diesel pump-sets and micro-irrigation equipment free of cost to farmers
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer(b) 2 only
Same programme — the Saras Aajeevika Mela is the marketing arm of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), whose core method is strengthening SHGs and skilling, exactly what this UPSC question tests.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Saras Aajeevika Mela is organised primarily to benefit which of the following?
- (a)Large agro-industries
- (b)Rural women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
- (c)Urban informal-sector workers
- (d)Export houses
Answer(b) Rural women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) — it is a DAY-NRLM marketing platform for their products.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Saras Aajeevika Mela is conducted under which of the following missions?
- (a)Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM)
- (b)Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
- (c)National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)
- (d)Startup India Mission
Answer(a) DAY-NRLM — a rural-livelihoods mission of the Ministry of Rural Development.