Q88 (IAS/2017) Economy › Schemes, Inclusion & Social Sector › Education improvement Official Key

What is the purpose of 'Vidyanjali Yojana' ? 1. To enable the famous foreign educational institutions to open their campuses in India. 2. To increase the quality of education provided in government schools by taking help from the private sector and the community. 3. To encourage voluntary monetary contributions from private individuals and organizations so as to improve the infrastructure facilities for primary and secondary schools. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Result

Your answer: — · Correct: A

Explanation

Vidyanjali was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7th September 2021, aiming to enhance the quality of education in schools by fostering community involvement, and encouraging contributions from corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and the private sector across the country.[1] It is a school volunteer management program to strengthen Government and Government-aided schools through community and private sector involvement.[2]

Statement 1 is **incorrect** because regulations on setting up and operation of campuses of foreign Higher Education Institutions in India[3] are a separate initiative unrelated to Vidyanjali, which focuses on school education. Statement 2 is **correct** as it accurately describes Vidyanjali's core purpose of improving government school education quality through community and private sector participation. Statement 3, while partially overlapping since Vidyanjali has introduced a CSR module for participation with around 2926 CSR/NGOs registered[4], is not the primary stated purpose—the focus is broader community involvement and volunteer participation rather than specifically encouraging monetary contributions for infrastructure.

Therefore, only statement 2 is correct, making option A (2 only) the right answer.

Sources

[1] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2072203
[2] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1993919
[3] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1988845
[4] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1993919

How others answered

Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.

Community Performance

Out of everyone who attempted this question.

got it right

Web / Current Affairs

Online pages / news items supporting the statement

Web source

Presence: 5/5

"Vidyanjali is an initiative taken by the Ministry of Education, Government of India with the aim to strengthen Schools through community and private sector ..."

Why this source?

Defines Vidyanjali's aim as strengthening schools through community and private sector involvement.
This description indicates a focus on supporting domestic school-level resources rather than enabling foreign campuses.

Web source

Presence: 4/5

"To promote internationalization, regulation on setting up and operation of campuses of foreign Higher Education Institutions in India have been issued."

Why this source?

Specifies that regulations to allow campuses of foreign Higher Education Institutions in India were issued to promote internationalization.
Shows that enabling foreign campuses is addressed as a higher-education regulation, separate from the Vidyanjali school-focused initiative.

Indirect textbook clues (4)

How books hint at the answer

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > Challenges faced by the "Make in India" Initiative > p. 231

Strength: 4/5

“And we should accept that, India is different from China and is developing at different time. Further, we should also not see "Make in India" as a strategy of import substitution through tariff barriers. This strategy has earlier not worked because it ended reducing domestic competition, making producers inefficient and increasing costs to consumers. Instead "Make in India" shall mean more openness, creating an environment that enables our firms to compete with the rest of the world and encourage foreign firms to create jobs in India.”

Why relevant

This snippet notes a broader government strategy of 'openness' to encourage foreign firms to create jobs in India — a general pattern of enabling foreign participation in sectors.

How to extend

A student could use this as a prompt to check whether education-sector policy (or Vidyanjali guidelines) are aligned with that openness by looking up sector-specific FDI/UGC/MEQA rules on foreign campuses.

Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 32: MINORITIES, SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES > MINORITIES, SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES CHAP. 321 > p. 456

Strength: 3/5

“The ambit of the above educational safeguards of all minority communities, whether religious, linguistic, or otherwise, can be understood only if we notice the propositions evolved by the Supreme Court out of the above guarantees: (a) Every minority community has the right not only to establish its own educational institutions, but also to impart instruction to the children of its own community in its own language.<sup>4</sup> (b) Even though Hindi is the national language of India, and Article 351 provides a special directive upon the state to promote the spread of Hindi, nevertheless, the object cannot be achieved by any means which contravenes the rights guaranteed by Articles 29 or 30.4 (c) In making primary education compulsory [Article 45], the state cannot compel that such education must take place only in the schools owned, aided or recognised by the State so as to defeat the guarantee that a person belonging to a linguistic minority has the right to attend institutions run by the community, to the exclusion of any other school.<sup>3</sup> (d) Even though there is no constitutional right to receive state aid, if the state does in fact grant aid to educational institutions, it cannot impose such conditions upon the right to receive such aid as would, virtually, drive the members of a religious or linguistic community out of their right under Article 30(1)”

Why relevant

Explains legal/constitutional principles that communities have rights to establish educational institutions — a rule about who may set up schools/universities in India.

How to extend

One could compare these constitutional protections for domestic minority institutions with statutory/ regulatory provisions for foreign entities to infer whether Vidyanjali could extend such establishment rights to foreign institutions.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Education Policy > p. 728

Strength: 3/5

“In 1968, the government under Indira Gandhi launched the first national Policy of Education (NPE). In 1986, Rajiv Gandhi promulgated the new NPE that stressed on "special emphasis on the removal of disparities and to equalise educational opportunity". The policy called for expanding scholarships, adult education, recruiting more teachers from among the SCs, incentives for poor families to send their children to school regularly, development of new institutions and provision of housing and services. Under the policy, Rajiv Gandhi included Operation Blackboard to improve the educational infrastructure at primary schools all over India. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), a byproduct of this policy, was directed towards promoting adult education.”

Why relevant

Describes how national education policy has previously been used to create new types of institutions (e.g., IGNOU) — a pattern that policy initiatives can enable new institutional forms.

How to extend

A student might examine whether Vidyanjali is framed as a policy instrument capable of creating or authorising new institutional forms (including foreign campuses) by checking its stated objectives and implementing authority.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > 7.8 Start-ups and Policy Enablers for Innovation > p. 239

Strength: 2/5

“• Stand Up India: It is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and job creation at the grassroots level, especially keeping in mind the SCs/STs and women• Start Up India: Aimed at promoting bank financing for startup ventures to boost entrepreneurship and encourage job creation. Rural India's version of Startup India has been named Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Swaniyojan Yojana• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): Govt's flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.”

Why relevant

Lists central government initiatives (Atal Innovation Mission, Start Up India) that actively promote partnerships, innovation and support for non-traditional education/entrepreneurial activity.

How to extend

Use this pattern to ask if Vidyanjali is similarly permissive toward partnerships with external (including foreign) educational players by reviewing scheme features such as partnership clauses or eligibility.

Which of the following is/are the objective(s) of Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana? To encourage and enable the overseas Indian workers by giving Government contribution to 1. save for their return and resettlement 2. save for their old age 3. obtain a life insurance cover against natural death for the entire life of the worker Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) launched in 2015 - 16 by the Central Government is aimed to :

With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements : 1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 2. It, among other things, will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy. 3. It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Skill Qualification Framework. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Which of the following statements about the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana are correct ? 1. It is part of Government of India’s poverty reduction strategy. 2. It is a centrally sponsored scheme for rural development. 3. It provides connectivity in rural areas. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Question map

Explanation

PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) launched in 2015 - 16 by the Central Government is aimed to :

Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana is aimed at