SSC
The Smart Cities Mission was launched in India in:
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Answer: Option B — 2015
Detailed Solution
The Smart Cities Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 June 2015, together with the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). It is run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The aim of the mission is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment and a decent quality of life to their citizens through the use of "smart solutions", especially information and communication technology. Core elements include adequate water supply, assured electricity, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing, robust IT connectivity and digitalisation, good governance (e-governance and citizen participation), safety and security of citizens, and health and education.
Key features:
100 cities were selected through a two-stage "City Challenge" competition, in several rounds between January 2016 and June 2018. In the first round (January 2016), 20 cities were selected, with Bhubaneswar ranked first.
Each city formed a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), a company, to plan and implement projects.
Projects included area-based development (retrofitting, redevelopment and greenfield development) and pan-city solutions, such as Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs), which use technology to monitor traffic, water supply and safety.
The Central Government provided about ₹48,000 crore, with matching contributions from states and urban local bodies.
The mission was originally planned for five years but was extended several times, finally ending on 31 March 2025, by which time most projects had been completed.
Other urban schemes include the Swachh Bharat Mission (2 October 2014), AMRUT 2.0 (2021) and the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY, 2015).
Why not the other options?
- ✗2014 is the year the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched.
- ✗2016 is the year the first 20 smart cities were announced.
- ✗2017 is incorrect.
Quick tip
Remember: Smart Cities Mission = 25 June 2015 (with AMRUT and PMAY-Urban), 100 cities through City Challenge, Bhubaneswar topped the first round; Swachh Bharat = 2 October 2014.
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Government Schemes — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Government Schemes, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the major welfare and development schemes of the Government of India, such as those for financial inclusion, health, housing, agriculture, skill development and women and child welfare, along with their launch year, objectives and ministries. Questions usually ask what a scheme aims to do, when it was launched, or which ministry runs it. For example, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (2014) aims at financial inclusion through bank accounts. Schemes are often renamed, merged or extended, so pair these static facts with the latest updates before banking and government exams. Practise the government schemes questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.