In May 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presidential cabinet approved granting additional approval for two more months next month for which scheme under the third phase (Phase-III)?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
- In May 2021, the President's Cabinet of Minister Narendra Modi approved granting additional approval for two more months next month for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) scheme under the third phase (Phase-III).
- Phase III of the scheme was operational from May to June, 2021.
- The scheme was designed to offer every individual covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 an extra 5 kilograms of free food grains (wheat or rice), in addition to the 5 kilograms already supplied at subsidized rates through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
- However, the updated version of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) omits a key feature that was included in its 2020 rollout, the monthly provision of 1 kilogram of free pulses per household under the NFSA.
- The government will spend around Rs.2.60 lakh crore in PMGKAY Phases I-V.