UPSC Mains 2019 GS2 Q18 — Welfare Schemes
Performance of welfare schemes that are implemented for vulnerable sections is not so effective due to absence of their awareness and active involvement at all stages of policy process. — Discuss.
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Discuss
- Scope keywords
- Performance of welfare schemesvulnerable sectionsabsence of their awarenessactive involvement at all stages of policy process
- Implicit sub-parts
- How does lack of awareness lead to exclusion errors and low take-up of welfare benefits?
- Why is involvement missing at specific stages: Identification, Implementation, and Social Audit?
- What are the structural barriers preventing the agency of vulnerable groups in policy design?
- Successful examples or counter-narratives where active involvement led to better scheme performance.
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing only on corruption and leakage instead of the specific themes of 'awareness' and 'participation'.
- Failing to define 'vulnerable sections' (SC/ST, women, elderly, PwDs) and treating them as a monolith.
- Neglecting the 'all stages' aspect of the prompt—most students will only talk about the implementation stage and ignore policy formulation or evaluation.
- Giving too many examples of schemes without analyzing 'why' they are failing in the context of the prompt's premise.
- Dimensions required
- Administrative/InstitutionalSocio-Psychological (Agency vs. Paternalism)Technological (Digital Divide in awareness)Grassroots Democracy (Panchayati Raj)Rights-based approach
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate 50 words to the link between awareness and scheme performance. Dedicate 100 words to a stage-by-stage analysis of where participation is missing (design, delivery, audit). Use 60 words for constructive measures to fix these gaps, and 40 words for a conclusion emphasizing a shift from 'subject' to 'citizen' in welfare delivery.
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