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Government SchemesMedium

Under the Nal Jal Mitra programme of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, how long is the Short-Term Training course for new entrants?

  1. A.120 hours
  2. B.240 hours
  3. C.360 hours
  4. D.510 hours

Correct answer

D. 510 hours

Explanation

The correct answer is 510 hours. At its virtual conference on 21 September 2026, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation briefed States on the two pathways of the Nal Jal Mitra programme: a 510-hour Short-Term Training course for new entrants, and a 120-hour Recognition of Prior Learning pathway for people who already work on rural water systems, such as plumbers, electricians, pump attendants and operators.

That is why 120 hours is the trap: it is a real figure from the same programme, but for the RPL route, not for new entrants. The other two options are distractors. Nal Jal Mitra is an NSQF-aligned qualification developed with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and it trains multi-skilled village technicians to handle pumps, pipelines, treatment systems and electrical fittings. States were asked to prioritise local youth.

Read the full article: Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0: Nal Jal Mitra and Sujalam Shakti Push

Practice Questions

Q1.Government SchemesMedium

'Sujalam Shakti', discussed under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, is a women-led initiative for what purpose?

  1. A.Village-level water quality testing and disinfection
  2. B.Building rainwater harvesting structures
  3. C.Running village solar pumps
  4. D.Collecting water tariffs
Show answer

Correct answer: A. Village-level water quality testing and disinfection

Explanation

The correct answer is Village-level water quality testing and disinfection. Sujalam Shakti aims to create a trained workforce of village women for water quality surveillance, testing and basic disinfection, and to strengthen women's role in rural water governance. It is based on the NSQF Level-2 qualification "Fundamentals of Basic Water Quality Testing and Disinfection", which covers sampling, the use of Field Test Kits, chlorination, sanitary inspection, source protection and digital reporting.

The other options describe different activities that are not part of this initiative. The first phase aims to train about 1.35 to 1.70 lakh women through State Rural Livelihood Missions, Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes. States were advised to give priority to women already testing water under Jal Jeevan Mission and to Self-Help Group members, and to register Sujalam Shakti members on the Gram Panchayat dashboard.

Q2.Government SchemesMedium

Which department organised the first National Virtual Conference with States/UTs on a skilled rural water workforce under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0?

  1. A.Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
  2. B.Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
  3. C.Department of Rural Development
  4. D.Department of Land Resources
Show answer

Correct answer: B. Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation

Explanation

The correct answer is Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. DDWS, which is part of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, organised the conference on 21 September 2026 as a follow-up to its Departmental Summit of 1 to 2 September 2026. Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to give rural households tap water connections, is run by this department through the National Jal Jeevan Mission.

The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation is the other department of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which makes it the most tempting wrong answer; it handles rivers, irrigation and the Namami Gange programme. The Department of Rural Development and the Department of Land Resources are under the Ministry of Rural Development. States were asked to draft JJM 2.0 HR policies in coordination with rural development and Panchayati Raj departments.

Q3.Government SchemesMedium

From 11 September 2024, which group was brought under AB PM-JAY irrespective of income, with the Ayushman Vay Vandana card?

  1. A.All ASHA workers
  2. B.All senior citizens aged 70 and above
  3. C.All construction workers
  4. D.All students in government schools
Show answer

Correct answer: B. All senior citizens aged 70 and above

Explanation

The correct answer is All senior citizens aged 70 and above. On 11 September 2024 the Government extended AB PM-JAY to everyone aged 70 and above, regardless of income, covering about 6 crore senior citizens. They receive the Ayushman Vay Vandana card, and more than 1.36 crore such cards had been issued by 21 September 2026.

ASHA workers are the distractor: about 37 lakh families of ASHAs, anganwadi workers and helpers were indeed added, but earlier, in March 2024, and through a separate decision. Construction workers join through the Building and Other Construction Workers boards, and students are not a category at all. The name is easy to place: "Vay" refers to age, so the Vay Vandana card is the one for the elderly.

Q4.Government SchemesMedium

Beneficiary families under AB PM-JAY are identified on the basis of which database?

  1. A.Census 2011
  2. B.Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011
  3. C.National Family Health Survey
  4. D.Aadhaar database
Show answer

Correct answer: B. Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011

Explanation

The correct answer is Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011. Rural families qualify under six deprivation criteria of the SECC 2011, such as households with only one kucha room, no adult member between 16 and 59, female-headed households without an adult male, households with a disabled member, SC/ST households and landless households dependent on casual manual labour. Urban families qualify under 11 occupational categories, from rag pickers and domestic workers to construction workers and drivers.

Census 2011 is the tempting wrong answer: the SECC was a separate exercise from the population census. The National Family Health Survey is a health survey, not an eligibility list, and Aadhaar is an identity number, not a poverty database. Families once covered under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana are included too.

Q5.Government SchemesMedium

What is the maximum annual cashless hospitalisation cover per family under AB PM-JAY?

  1. A.₹1 lakh
  2. B.₹2 lakh
  3. C.₹5 lakh
  4. D.₹10 lakh
Show answer

Correct answer: C. ₹5 lakh

Explanation

The correct answer is ₹5 lakh. AB PM-JAY provides cashless hospitalisation cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year, covering 1,961 procedures across 27 medical specialties at public and private empanelled hospitals. The cover is per family, not per person, and there is no cap on family size or age.

The other amounts are distractors. The scale of use is worth remembering: by its eighth anniversary the scheme had funded about 13.25 crore hospital admissions worth ₹2.03 lakh crore, and over 48.51 crore people, about 33% of the population, held Ayushman cards. The Union Budget for 2026-27 provides ₹9,500 crore for it. A typical example in the backgrounder is a 65-year-old woman from Haryana whose hip surgery costing ₹44,140 was done free under the scheme.