UPSC Mains PYQs on Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections (GS Paper 2)
Every UPSC Mains question on Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections between 2013 and 2025 is listed below, newest year first, with the marks it carried. Filter by microtheme to see one idea across all the years.
By Team MaargX UPSC · UPSC Mains 2013-2025
Short answer: UPSC has asked 9 questions on Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections (syllabus item 12 of GS Paper 2) between 2013 and 2025, worth 110 marks in all, about 1 questions a year. The most-asked microthemes are Efficacy of Welfare and Development Schemes (4), Women (2), Persons with Disabilities (2), Children (1). The busiest year was 2025 (1 questions, 10 marks).
UPSC syllabus, GS Paper 2, item 12: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Find Questions by GS Paper, Syllabus Topic and Microtheme
Step 1 paper → Step 2 syllabus topic → Step 3 subject → Step 4 microtheme. Each step opens after the one before it.
Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections: questions year-wise with marks
2025 1 question · 10 marks
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Women's social capital complements in advancing empowerment and gender equity. Explain.
2023 1 question · 15 marks
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"Development and welfare schemes for the vulnerable, by its nature, are discriminatory in approach." Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.
2022 1 question · 10 marks
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The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 remains only a legal document without intense sensitisation of government functionaries and citizens regarding disability. Comment.
2021 1 question · 15 marks
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"Though women in post-Independent India have excelled in various fields, the social attitude towards women and feminist movement has been patriarchial." Apart from women education and women empowerment schemes, what interventions can help change this milieu?
2019 1 question · 15 marks
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Performance of welfare schemes that are implemented for vulnerable sections is not so effective due to absence of their awareness and active involvement at all stages of policy process – Discuss.
2017 1 question · 10 marks
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Does the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 ensure effective mechanism for empowerment and inclusion of the intended beneficiaries in the society? Discuss
2016 1 question · 12.5 marks
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Examine the main provisions of the National Child Policy and throw light on the status of its implementation.
2014 1 question · 12.5 marks
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Do government's schemes for uplifting vulnerable and backward communities by protecting required social resources for them, lead to their exclusion in establishing businesses in urban economics?
2013 1 question · 10 marks
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The Central Government frequently complains on the poor performance of the State Governments in eradicating suffering of the vulnerable sections of the society. Restructuring of Centrally sponsored schemes across the sectors for ameliorating the cause of vulnerable sections of population aims at providing flexibility to the States in better implementation. Critically evaluate.
No question matches these choices. Try another year or microtheme, or reset.
Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections at a Glance
| Syllabus item | GS Paper 2, item 12 (Social Justice) |
|---|---|
| Questions asked | 9 (2013-2025), about 1 a year |
| Total marks | 110 marks |
| Last five years | 4 questions, 50 marks (2021-2025) |
| Usual weight | 10 marks (4 questions) |
| Directive words | Discuss (2), Explain (1), Comment (1), Examine (1) |
| Busiest year | 2025 (1 questions, 10 marks) |
Year-Wise Summary
| Year | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 10 marks |
| 2023 | 1 | 15 marks |
| 2022 | 1 | 10 marks |
| 2021 | 1 | 15 marks |
| 2019 | 1 | 15 marks |
| 2017 | 1 | 10 marks |
| 2016 | 1 | 12.5 marks |
| 2014 | 1 | 12.5 marks |
| 2013 | 1 | 10 marks |
| Total | 9 | 110 marks |
Microthemes in Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections
These are the ideas inside this topic, most asked first. Select one to see all its questions year-wise with marks.
- Efficacy of Welfare and Development Schemes 4 · 52.5 marks
- Women 2 · 25 marks
- Persons with Disabilities 2 · 20 marks
- Children 1 · 12.5 marks
Other Topics in GS Paper 2
- 01. Indian Constitution: Evolution and Features 18 · 235 marks
- 02. Union and States: Federal Structure 16 · 195 marks
- 03. Separation of Powers and Dispute Redressal 10 · 117.5 marks
- 04. Devolution to Local Levels 8 · 97.5 marks
- 05. Comparison with Other Constitutions 9 · 115 marks
- 06. Parliament and State Legislatures 13 · 162.5 marks
- 07. Executive, Judiciary and Pressure Groups 17 · 197.5 marks
- 08. Representation of the People's Act 11 · 137.5 marks
- 09. Constitutional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies 23 · 282.5 marks
- 10. Government Policies and Interventions 9 · 112.5 marks
- 11. NGOs, SHGs and the Development Industry 14 · 177.5 marks
- 13. Health, Education and Human Resources 18 · 215 marks
- 14. Poverty and Hunger 10 · 127.5 marks
- 15. Transparency, Accountability and E-Governance 18 · 215 marks
- 16. Role of Civil Services 5 · 60 marks
- 17. India and Its Neighbourhood 7 · 75 marks
- 18. Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings 19 · 230 marks
- 19. Policies of Other Countries and Indian Diaspora 16 · 195 marks
- 20. International Institutions and Agencies 15 · 187.5 marks
How to Use Mains PYQs Topic Wise
- Start with the microthemes. Open a topic and read its microtheme list. The ones with the most questions are the ideas UPSC returns to.
- Read the demand words. Note how questions begin: discuss, examine, critically analyse, comment. Each asks for a different answer structure.
- Write by marks. A 10-mark question needs a tight answer of about 150 words, and a 15-mark question about 250 words.
- Cover all years of a microtheme. Write the oldest and the latest question on the same microtheme, and see how the angle changed.
- Revise and rewrite. Revise the topic from the notes, and write the same question again after a week.
For the method in full, read the Mains answer writing strategy. The official papers are on our UPSC PYQs page.
Questions are shown as printed in the UPSC Civil Services (Main) General Studies papers of 2013-2025. The grouping into topics and microthemes is by Team MaargX UPSC. Check any wording against the official paper on upsc.gov.in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many UPSC Mains questions have been asked on Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections?
9 questions on Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections appeared in UPSC Mains GS Paper 2 between 2013 and 2025, worth 110 marks in all. That is about 1 questions a year. Every one of them is listed on this page, year-wise with its marks.
Which Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections microthemes does UPSC ask most often?
The most-asked microthemes in Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections are Efficacy of Welfare and Development Schemes (4), Women (2), Persons with Disabilities (2), Children (1). The number in brackets is how many questions each has had since 2013. Use the microtheme filter to see all of them together, year by year, with marks.
In which year was Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections asked the most in UPSC Mains?
The busiest year for Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections was 2025 (1 questions, 10 marks). The lightest was 2025 (1 questions, 10 marks). Treat these swings as noise: UPSC does not repeat a fixed pattern, so cover the whole topic.
How many marks do Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections questions carry?
Of the 9 questions on Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections, 3 of 15 marks, 2 of 12.5 marks, 4 of 10 marks. Plan your word limit by marks: 10-marker answers run to about 150 words and 15-marker answers to about 250 words.
What kind of questions does UPSC ask on Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections?
The directive words in the 9 questions on Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections are Discuss (2), Explain (1), Comment (1), Examine (1). Match your answer to the word: discuss and examine want both sides with a conclusion, while comment and critically analyse want a reasoned stand.
Is Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections important for UPSC Mains?
In the last five years (2021-2025) UPSC asked 4 questions on Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections, worth 50 marks. In the first five years (2013-2017) it asked 4, worth 45 marks.
Which GS paper does Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections belong to?
Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections belongs to UPSC Mains GS Paper 2, titled Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations. The questions on this page are all from that paper.
How should I use these Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections PYQs?
Read the microtheme list first, then pick one and write two or three answers in the time limit. Compare each with what the question demands (discuss, examine, critically analyse). Revise the topic from the Maarg Manthan notes and write the same question again after a week.
Official Sources
These are the primary sources behind this page. Rules, dates and papers can change, so confirm them on the official pages.
- UPSC: Previous Year Question Papers
- UPSC: Previous Year Question Papers (Archives)
- UPSC: Revised Syllabus and Scheme
- UPSC: Civil Services Examination Rules