Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY), a major rural employment generation programme in India, was launched in which of the following years?

Introduction / Context:
Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) was an important employment generation scheme aimed at providing wage employment in rural areas through the creation of community assets. Many exam questions focus on the launch years of major government schemes, because dates help differentiate one programme from another. This question checks whether you know when JRY was launched.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about the launch year of Jawahar Rozgar Yojana.
• Four years are listed as options: 1985, 1987, 1991, and 1989.
• We assume basic familiarity with the history of rural employment schemes in India.

Concept / Approach:
Jawahar Rozgar Yojana was launched in 1989 by merging earlier rural employment programmes such as the National Rural Employment Programme and the Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme. The aim was to create additional wage employment opportunities for the rural poor and to create durable assets for rural development. Therefore, the correct year to remember is 1989.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that JRY was a successor scheme combining earlier rural employment schemes.Step 2: Note that the scheme came into operation towards the end of the 1980s.Step 3: Official records and exam guides consistently state that JRY was launched in 1989.Step 4: Compare this with the options and identify 1989 as the matching year.Step 5: Therefore, the correct answer is that JRY was launched in 1989.

Verification / Alternative check:
Rural employment policy timelines show that earlier schemes like the National Rural Employment Programme and the Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme were in operation before 1989. In 1989, these were merged into Jawahar Rozgar Yojana. Later schemes like Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act came after JRY, which confirms the sequence and the launch year of 1989.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1985: This year is too early for JRY; at that time earlier employment schemes were still in place.

1987: Again, this is not the year of the merger and creation of JRY.

1991: By this time, JRY was already running; 1991 is associated with economic reforms, not with the launch of JRY.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may mix up the years of different employment schemes, especially because several programmes with similar names were launched in the 1980s and 1990s. A useful tip is to remember that JRY marks the transition from earlier schemes in 1989, making it easier to pick the correct year in exams.

Final Answer:
Jawahar Rozgar Yojana was launched in 1989.