Project "Sankalp" in India was launched primarily with the objective of achieving which of the following social or economic goals?

Introduction / Context:
Government schemes and projects in India are often launched with specific acronyms that stand for larger development programmes. "SANKALP" is one such initiative in the area of skills and employment. While several projects focus on health issues like polio or HIV, others aim at building human capital and reducing unemployment. This question tests whether you can correctly associate Project "Sankalp" with its core objective, instead of confusing it with health or literacy campaigns.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The project named is "Sankalp" (often expanded as Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion).
• Options involve eradicating illiteracy, polio, AIDS/HIV, or unemployment.
• We assume exam oriented knowledge of recent skill development initiatives in India.
• The focus is on the primary goal, not on the detailed wording of the acronym.

Concept / Approach:
SANKALP is a World Bank supported project under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, aimed at strengthening institutional mechanisms for skill development and enhancing the quality and market relevance of training. Its broader purpose is to improve employability and livelihoods by providing better skills and training infrastructure, thereby addressing unemployment and underemployment, particularly among the youth. It is not a health programme targeting polio or AIDS/HIV, nor is it directly framed as a general literacy eradication campaign. Thus, among the given options, the one that best captures its essence is "To eliminate unemployment through skill development."

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Reading about national skill development initiatives, you will find SANKALP described in the context of improving skilling ecosystems, strengthening institutions like Industrial Training Institutes and Sector Skill Councils, and making training more market relevant. In contrast, health campaigns such as polio eradication or HIV control are associated with projects under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, not the skill development ministry. This difference in ministry and content confirms the employment and skill focus of SANKALP.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• To eradicate illiteracy: Literacy mission programmes are run under education and adult literacy schemes, not under SANKALP, which is focused on skills and employability.
• To eradicate Polio: Polio eradication efforts are part of immunisation and health campaigns, not skill development projects.
• To eliminate AIDS/HIV: HIV prevention and treatment are handled under specific health missions and NACO programmes, not under SANKALP.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may guess based on the fact that many projects with strong sounding names are health related, leading them to choose polio or AIDS/HIV. Another pitfall is to associate any government project with education with the term "illiteracy," even when the actual focus is on employability skills. To avoid such errors, it helps to link SANKALP firmly in your mind with skill development and employment rather than with disease control or basic literacy.

Final Answer:
Project "Sankalp" was started primarily To eliminate unemployment through skill development and livelihood promotion.