Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Mission Indradhanush (Indradanush Scheme)
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Public health schemes related to vaccination are a frequent area of questioning in competitive exams because they combine elements of government policy, health, and social welfare. This question focuses on a flagship immunisation programme launched by the Central Government to ensure that all children receive critical vaccines against major diseases. You are asked to identify which scheme targets unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children against seven vaccine preventable diseases, with a target year of 2020 for complete coverage.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Mission Indradhanush is a major immunisation initiative of the Government of India. The term Indradhanush means rainbow, symbolising a broad spectrum of protection through multiple vaccines. The programme focuses on ensuring that all children and pregnant women who have been missed by routine immunisation are brought into the system. It targets seven vaccine preventable diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, and hepatitis B. The goal was to achieve high immunisation coverage by 2020. Other schemes listed in the options focus on skill development, rural electrification, or social security for overseas workers, and do not relate to child vaccination.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question is clearly about immunisation and vaccination of children.Step 2: Recall that Mission Indradhanush is the Central Government programme linked with universal immunisation and a rainbow of vaccines.Step 3: Connect the target year of 2020 with the phases of Mission Indradhanush and its intensified campaigns.Step 4: Compare the other options and note that they are related to skills, electricity, or social security, not health.Step 5: Select Mission Indradhanush (Indradanush Scheme) as the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by recalling that Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana focuses on rural skill development and employment for youth, which is unrelated to immunisation. Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana deals with rural electrification and power distribution, again not tied to vaccines. Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana provides social security to overseas Indian workers. Only Mission Indradhanush fits the description of a health oriented programme aimed at vaccinating children and pregnant women against multiple diseases.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana targets livelihoods and skills for rural youth and is not an immunisation or vaccine programme. Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana is an infrastructure scheme for improving rural power supply and does not involve vaccination campaigns. Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana is linked to pension and insurance benefits for overseas workers, not to child health or immunisation. As a result, none of these alternatives align with the health and vaccination focus described in the question.
Common Pitfalls:
The main pitfall is getting confused by the large number of government schemes that share similar sounding names, especially those named after national leaders. Many schemes include phrases like Grameen, Kaushalya, Jyoti, or Suraksha, which can blur their distinct purposes. A good exam strategy is to associate each scheme with one or two key words: for example, Indradhanush with immunisation and rainbow, Gram Jyoti with electricity, and Kaushalya with skills. Such mental tags help you quickly select the correct scheme under time pressure.
Final Answer:
The Central Government immunisation programme described is Mission Indradhanush, also known as the Indradanush Scheme.
Discussion & Comments