What are the Indian government's schemes launched for poverty alleviation after the United Nation's Declaration of 'Sustainable Development Goals – 2015' ? Briefly describe.

Breaking down the question

The question is largely descriptive with a clear time marker — poverty-alleviation schemes launched after the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. The instruction briefly describe signals a compact, well-organised answer, not an exhaustive catalogue.

Two things matter. First, the cut-off — the answer should foreground schemes introduced from 2014-15 onwards, since the first SDG is the end of poverty in all its forms. Second, a light sociological framing — the post-2015 schemes reflect a shift towards multidimensional poverty reduction, addressing not only income but housing, sanitation, health, finance and skills, in line with the SDG vision.

Because the question sits under Rural and Agrarian Transformation, connect it to India's programme architecture for rural development, drawing on the note on programmes of rural development.

How to approach it

Open with a sentence linking the SDGs of 2015 — especially the goal of ending poverty — to India's renewed policy push. Then organise the schemes thematically rather than as a random list: financial inclusion, housing and basic amenities, employment and skills, health and social security. This shows analytical control in a short answer.

Describe each scheme in a line or two — its aim and its poverty-reducing logic. Close with a brief evaluative note on their multidimensional character and their limits.

Model answer

The United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, placing the end of poverty in all its forms at the head of Agenda 2030. In the same period India launched a cluster of schemes that reflect an increasingly multidimensional approach to poverty — addressing not merely income but housing, finance, sanitation, skills and social security. The principal schemes can be grouped thematically.

Financial inclusion. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (2014) sought to bring the unbanked poor into the formal financial system through zero-balance accounts, insurance and overdraft facilities, laying the foundation for the direct transfer of benefits and reducing leakage.

Housing and basic amenities. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana aims at housing for all, providing pucca houses to the rural and urban poor. The Swachh Bharat Mission tackles sanitation and open defecation, and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana provides clean cooking gas to poor women — all addressing dimensions of poverty beyond income.

Livelihood, employment and skills. The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana strengthens rural and urban livelihoods through self-help groups, while the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana promotes skill development to improve employability. Alongside these, the pre-existing MGNREGA continues to guarantee rural wage employment.

Credit and enterprise. The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana extends collateral-free micro-credit to small and informal enterprises, supporting self-employment among the poor.

Health and social security. Ayushman Bharat (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, 2018) offers health-insurance cover to poor families, guarding against the medical expenses that push households into poverty. The Pradhan Mantri social-security schemes — life and accident insurance and the Atal Pension Yojana — extend a basic safety net to informal workers.

Taken together, these post-2015 initiatives mark a shift from a narrow, income-based conception of poverty to a multidimensional one aligned with the SDG framework — targeting deprivation in housing, sanitation, health, finance and livelihood simultaneously. Their reliance on financial inclusion and direct benefit transfer represents an attempt to make delivery more efficient and less leaky. At the same time, sociologists caution that implementation is uneven, that quantity targets can overshadow quality, and that structural inequalities of caste, class and region limit how far scheme-based interventions can reach the poorest. The schemes are a significant instrument of poverty alleviation, but their success depends on inclusive and accountable delivery.

Examiner's perspective

Examiners reward candidates who respect the time marker — foregrounding schemes from 2014-15 onwards rather than listing older programmes — and who organise the schemes thematically instead of dumping a random list. This structure is what separates a good short answer from a mediocre one.

The strongest scripts add a light sociological frame: the multidimensional character of post-2015 poverty policy and its explicit link to the first Sustainable Development Goal. A brief closing note on implementation gaps and structural limits signals evaluative judgement and secures the higher marks.