Every Punjab paper has a few questions on government schemes and institutions. The questions are simple: what does this scheme give, and to whom? or where is this university, and when was it set up? This page puts the main Punjab schemes in tables by sector — health, women, education, farmers and villages, youth, households — each with its launch year, target group and benefit. Then it lists Punjab's universities and national institutes with their place and founding year.
- For every scheme, learn three things: the year it began, who gets it (target group) and what they get (benefit).
- Many questions only ask the purpose. If you know the target group, you can rule out silly options like "free tractors" for a scholarship.
- Scheme names change when governments change. For example, the marriage-help scheme Shagun is now known as Ashirwad.
- Office-holders (Chief Minister, ministers) change. Learn a scheme by its year, not by the person who launched it. For the system of government, see Punjab government and administration.
- Some schemes are central (made by the Government of India) but run in Punjab, such as the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and the National Food Security Mission. Papers still ask when they started in Punjab.
All launches in year order (2002–2026)Tap to open
- 2002PIDB Act
The Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Act gives legal backing to the PIDB (Punjab Infrastructure Development Board, set up in 1998) — the nodal (lead) agency for infrastructure.
- 2007Atta-Dal Scheme; IDSP in Punjab
Cheap wheat and pulses for poor families; disease surveillance programme starts in the state.
- 2007–08National Food Security Mission
Covers Punjab from the start, under NFSM-Wheat.
- 2010Integrated Child Protection Scheme
Launched in Punjab (central scheme of 2009–10).
- 2017Ghar Ghar Rozgar te Karobar Mission
Job fairs, placement and self-employment for youth.
- 2018Dheeiyan di Lohri; Pani Bachao Paise Kamao
Celebrating the girl child; cash for saving farm power and water.
- 2019Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana; Smart Village Campaign
₹5 lakh cashless health cover (20 Aug 2019); village infrastructure.
- 2020Basera; DigiNest; Right to Business Act
Property rights for slum dwellers; government directory app (Dec 2020); easier approvals for MSMEs.
- 2021Mera Kaam Mera Maan; free bus travel for women
Skill training for youth; free travel for women in government buses.
- 2022300 free units; Aam Aadmi Clinics
Free household power from 1 July 2022; clinics from 15 August 2022.
- 2023Schools of Eminence; CM di Yogshala; Tirath Yatra
Model schools; free yoga classes; free pilgrimages for the elderly (Nov 2023).
- 2024Sadak Surakhya Force; Farishtey
India's first dedicated highway police (Feb 2024); free treatment for road-accident victims.
- 2025Yudh Nashian Virudh; Punjab Sikhya Kranti
Anti-drug campaign (Mar 2025); school infrastructure drive (Apr 2025). Budget 2025 announces ₹10 lakh health cover.
- 2026Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana; Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna
₹10 lakh cashless cover for all families (22 Jan 2026); monthly help for women. Very recent: check the latest details before your exam.
Health schemes
Insurance, clinics, free treatment and disease watch.
| Scheme | Launched | Who gets it | What they get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana | 20 Aug 2019 | Eligible families | ₹5 lakh a year of cashless hospital treatment at empanelled hospitals (run with the central Ayushman Bharat scheme, AB-PMJAY) |
| Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana | 22 Jan 2026 | All resident families | ₹10 lakh a year of cashless cover (announced in the Punjab Budget 2025; launched early 2026, so check for updates) |
| Aam Aadmi Clinics | 15 Aug 2022 | Every citizen | Free primary healthcare: doctor's check-up, medicines and diagnostic tests (870+ clinics) |
| Farishtey | 2024 | Road-accident victims | Free treatment in hospitals |
| CM di Yogshala | 2023 | Everyone | Free yoga classes |
| Mission Tandarust Punjab | 2018 | Whole state | Cleaner environment, safe food and water, better public health |
| Mission Fateh | 2020 | Whole state | COVID-19 awareness |
| Mobile Lab Scheme | — | Workers with silicosis | Mobile labs that screen and help treat the disease |
In a cashless scheme the patient pays nothing at the hospital counter. The insurance pays the hospital directly. This works only at empanelled hospitals — hospitals that have signed up with the scheme.
- Full name: Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (surveillance = keeping watch).
- Aim: detect and control communicable diseases through early reporting.
- Weekly data from three sources: S = symptoms, P = the doctor's likely diagnosis, L = lab-confirmed.
- By 2022, 18 district microbiology labs had been set up in Punjab under IDSP.
- NCDC = National Centre for Disease Control.
- A Punjab state branch was announced in 2025.
- Purpose: better disease surveillance and faster response to outbreaks.
- It is not about building hospitals, free medicines or medical tourism.
Silicosis is a serious lung disease. It comes from breathing in silica dust — for example in brick kilns, stone crushing and mining. Punjab's Mobile Lab Scheme sends labs on wheels to such workers to screen them and support their treatment. It is not an accident-cover, training or mobile-phone scheme.
Also asked once: health-budget figureTap to open
The Punjab Budget 2024–25 noted that, in 2022–23, states on average gave 5.2% of their total budget to health. Punjab used this figure to compare its own health spending.
Women, girls and children
Marriage help, monthly support, safety and the girl child.
| Scheme | Launched | Who gets it | What they get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mukh Mantri Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna | 2026 | Women | Monthly financial help; a higher amount for Scheduled Caste women (very recent — check the latest amount) |
| Ashirwad Scheme (earlier Shagun) | — | Daughters of SC, BC and economically weaker families | Money at the time of a daughter's marriage; as of March 2025, for up to two daughters per family |
| Dheeiyan di Lohri | 2018 | Families with a newborn girl | Celebrates the birth of daughters, to fight female foeticide |
| Free bus travel for women | 2021 | Women in Punjab | Free travel in government buses — better mobility and access to work, study and services |
| Widow pension | — | Widows | Regular monthly financial support |
| Anganwadi Worker Karya Karti Bima Yojana | — | Anganwadi workers | Insurance cover; the yearly premium is ₹200 |
| Integrated Child Protection Scheme | 2010 (in Punjab) | Children in need of care, and children in conflict with the law | One scheme that joined older child-protection programmes |
Also asked once: Mahila Suraksha SanghTap to open
Older reference books describe Punjab as the only state where every village and urban slum had a Mahila Suraksha Sangh (women's safety group). MGNREGA, by contrast, is a nationwide rural jobs scheme, so it is not special to Punjab.
Education schemes
Keeping children in school and helping poor students study further.
| Scheme | Launched | Who gets it | Main aim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free bicycles for girls (Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme) | — | Girls in government schools | Promote girls' education and improve their retention (staying on) in school |
| Smartphones / tablets for students | 2020 | Government school students | Digital education and online learning |
| Post-matric scholarship for SC students | — | Scheduled Caste students | Money to fund their education |
| Free coaching for competitive exams | — | Students from weaker and reserved sections | Preparation for recruitment exams |
| Schools of Eminence | 2023 | Government school students | Model schools with better facilities |
| Punjab Sikhya Kranti | Apr 2025 | Government schools | Drive to improve school infrastructure |
In the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019–20 for school education, released in June 2021, Punjab ranked at the top with grade A++.
Farmers, villages, border
Water, crops, village works and the border belt.
| Scheme / body | Year | Who gains | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract farming through PAFC (Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation) | 2002–03 | Farmers | PAFC is the nodal (lead) agency; moves farmers from wheat–paddy to crops like maize, barley, moong, sunflower (diversification) |
| National Food Security Mission (central) | 2007–08 | Wheat farmers | Covered Punjab from its start under NFSM-Wheat, to raise output |
| Pani Bachao Paise Kamao | 2018 | Farmers | Cash for saving farm electricity and water |
| Smart Village Campaign | 2019 | Rural villages | Village infrastructure: streets, streetlights, sewerage, parks |
| Har Ghar Jal (Jal Jeevan Mission) | 100% by 2024 | Rural households | Punjab is a certified Har Ghar Jal state: 100% of rural homes have piped tap water |
| Border Area Development Programme (BADP, central) | — | Villages near the Indo-Pak border | Works in 18 border blocks of 6 districts (the figure asked in 2016 papers), for villages within 0–10 km of the border |
Also asked: Punjab's agro-climatic zoneTap to open
In the agro-climatic zones of the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog), Punjab falls fully in Zone 6: the Trans-Gangetic Plains — not the Western Dry Region or the Western Himalayas. More on crops and soils: Climate, soils and agriculture of Punjab.
Youth and jobs
Three names that look alike — learn what each one gives.
Gaddi = vehicle. If a question says subsidy on a 3/4-wheeler, the answer has "Gaddi" in it: Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar. If it says job fairs, think Ghar Ghar Rozgar. If it says skills, think Mera Kaam Mera Maan.
Households and the elderly
Power, food, housing and pensions — schemes that reach almost every home.
| Scheme | Launched | Who gets it | What they get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghar Ghar Muft Bijli (free power) | 1 Jul 2022 | Domestic households | Up to 300 units of electricity a month free |
| Atta-Dal Scheme | 2007 | Poor families | Subsidised wheat (atta) and pulses (dal) |
| Smart Ration Card Scheme | — | Eligible families | Subsidised food grains such as wheat |
| Basera | 2020 | Slum dwellers | Ownership (proprietary) rights on the land they live on |
| Old-age pension | — | Senior citizens | Monthly financial help |
| Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojana | Nov 2023 | Elderly people | Free pilgrimages |
Also asked once: Rural Age Care CentreTap to open
E-governance and cities
Apps, online services, laws for business, and city missions.
| Initiative | Year | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| DigiNest app | Dec 2020 | Mobile app giving digital access to the state government directory — offices, departments and officials. It replaced the printed diary. |
| e-District project | Pilot first | Online certificates and services through Suwidha centres and Common Service Centres. Piloted in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr) and Kapurthala, then rolled out state-wide. |
| Doorstep delivery ("Sarkar Tuhade Dwar") | Dec 2023 | 43 services delivered at home; helpline 1076 |
| Sadak Surakhya Force | Feb 2024 | India's first dedicated highway police force |
| Punjab Right to Business Act | 2020 | Makes rules simpler for MSMEs (small businesses): faster approvals, less inspection burden |
| PIDB (Punjab Infrastructure Development Board) | Board 1998; Act 2002 | Nodal agency (the lead body) for infrastructure; given legal backing by the Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002; chaired by the Chief Minister |
| Smart City | Selected | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Ludhiana | Jan 2016 (Round 1) | Hosiery, woollens and bicycles — often called the "Manchester of Punjab" (Punjab papers also say "Manchester of India"; in all-India GK that title goes to Ahmedabad) |
| Amritsar | Sept 2016 (Round 2) | Textiles and tourism; also a HRIDAY heritage city (a central scheme for heritage cities) |
| Jalandhar | Sept 2016 (Round 2) | Sports goods |
Also asked once: an older tax-share figureTap to open
The 14th Finance Commission (award period 2015–20) fixed Punjab's share in the pool of central taxes at 1.577%. Each Finance Commission sets a new share, so learn 1.577% only as the 14th-FC figure. For Punjab's economy and boards like Markfed and Milkfed, see Economy, industry and cooperatives of Punjab.
Universities of Punjab
Place and founding year. 1962 and 2009 are the years to watch.
Full list: main universities with place and yearTap to open
| University | Place | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| Panjab University | Chandigarh | 1882 (Lahore) |
| Punjabi University | Patiala | 1962 |
| Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) | Ludhiana | 1962 |
| Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) | Amritsar | 1969 |
| I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University — Began as PTU, Jalandhar; renamed 2015 | Kapurthala | 1997 |
| Baba Farid University of Health Sciences | Faridkot | 1998 |
| Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) — Carved out of PAU | Ludhiana | 2005 |
| Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) | Patiala | 2006 |
| Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University | Fatehgarh Sahib | 2008 |
| Central University of Punjab — Set up under the Central Universities Act | Bathinda (Ghudda village) | 2009 |
| Guru Ravidas Ayurved University | Hoshiarpur | 2009 |
| Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University | Bathinda | 2015 |
| Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University | Patiala | 2019 |
| Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University; Sardar Beant Singh State University | Ferozepur; Gurdaspur | 2021 |
PAU was set up in 1962 by upgrading the Punjab Government College of Agriculture, Ludhiana — the college that had replaced the Lyallpur college after Partition. Jawaharlal Nehru formally inaugurated it on 8 July 1963, when Pratap Singh Kairon was Chief Minister. Its first Vice-Chancellor was P. N. Thapar. Its main campus has always been at Ludhiana; Palampur and Hisar were only regional campuses, and they went to Himachal Pradesh and Haryana after 1966. In 2005, veterinary studies were carved out of PAU to form GADVASU.
"62 twins, 69 Guru, 09 Bathinda + Hoshiarpur" — 1962: PAU and Punjabi University; 1969: Guru Nanak Dev University; 2009: Central University at Bathinda and Guru Ravidas Ayurved University at Hoshiarpur.
National institutes
Mohali has become a science and management hub.
| Institute | Place | Founded |
|---|---|---|
| Thapar Institute | Patiala | 1956 |
| Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS) | Patiala (Old Moti Bagh Palace) | 1961 |
| PGIMER (Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) | Chandigarh | 1962 |
| Dr B.R. Ambedkar NIT | Jalandhar | 1987 (as REC) |
| NIPER (National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research) | SAS Nagar (Mohali) | 1998 |
| Lovely Professional University (private) | Phagwara | 2005 |
| IISER Mohali | SAS Nagar (Mohali) | 2007 |
| IIT Ropar | Rupnagar | 2008 |
| ISB Mohali (Indian School of Business campus) | Mohali | 2012 |
| IIM Amritsar | Amritsar | 2015 |
| AIIMS Bathinda | Bathinda | 2019 |
Other bodies: flying clubs, language and arts bodiesTap to open
- Civil aviation (flying) clubs of Punjab: Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala. They train pilots. (Phillaur is known for the Punjab Police Academy, not a flying club.)
- Punjabi Sahit Akademi, Ludhiana (1954) and Punjab Bhasha Vibhag (Languages Department), Patiala — bodies for Punjabi language and literature.
- Punjab Kala Parishad — the state arts council. Poet Surjit Patar was its chairman from 2017 to 2024.
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum is at Ludhiana.
Common traps
- Ashirwad = Shagun (marriage of daughters). Not a pension, coaching or free-power scheme.
- Dheeiyan di Lohri = girl child; Basera = property rights for slum dwellers; Mera Kaam Mera Maan = youth skills. All three are Punjab schemes.
- Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar gives the vehicle subsidy — not Ghar Ghar Rozgar.
- Sarbat Sehat Bima = ₹5 lakh (2019) for eligible families; Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana = ₹10 lakh (2026) for all families.
- Smart Cities: Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar. Patiala is not one.
- PIDB is a Board (set up 1998; Act 2002). Options with Corporation, Agency or Council are wrong.
- PAFC is the Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation (contract farming) — not a "Commission".
- e-District was piloted in SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr) and Kapurthala — not Mohali or Amritsar.
- PAU campus has always been Ludhiana. Palampur was only a regional campus.
- Central University of Punjab is at Bathinda, not Patiala or Sangrur. IIT is at Ropar; IISER and NIPER are at Mohali.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
- Ashirwad (old name Shagun)
- Daughters of SC, BC and poor families — money at marriage
- Dheeiyan di Lohri (2018)
- Families with a newborn girl
- Basera (2020)
- Slum dwellers — ownership rights on their land
- Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar
- Jobless youth — subsidy on a 3/4-wheeler
- Mera Kaam Mera Maan (2021)
- Youth — skill training with an allowance
- Mobile Lab Scheme
- Workers with silicosis
- Ghar Ghar Muft Bijli (2022)
- Domestic households — 300 free units a month
- Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra (2023)
- Elderly people — free pilgrimages
- Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme
- Girls in government schools — free bicycles
- Farishtey (2024)
- Road-accident victims — free treatment
20 one-line facts for the night beforeTap to open
- Sarbat Sehat Bima: 20 Aug 2019, ₹5 lakh cashless
- Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana: 22 Jan 2026, ₹10 lakh, all families
- Aam Aadmi Clinics: 15 Aug 2022, free primary care and tests
- Free power: 300 units a month, homes, 1 Jul 2022
- Mawan Dheeyan Satkar Yojna (2026): monthly help for women
- Ashirwad (old name Shagun): daughters' marriage; 2 daughters per family
- Dheeiyan di Lohri: 2018, girl child
- Basera: 2020, slum dwellers' property rights
- DigiNest: Dec 2020, government directory app
- Apni Gaddi Apna Rozgar: 3/4-wheeler subsidy
- Ghar Ghar Rozgar: 2017, jobs for youth
- IDSP in Punjab: 2007; 18 district labs by 2022
- Integrated Child Protection Scheme in Punjab: 2010
- NFSM in Punjab: 2007–08 (NFSM-Wheat)
- PIDB: Board 1998, Act 2002 — nodal infrastructure agency
- Smart Cities: Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar
- BADP: 18 blocks, 6 border districts
- e-District pilot: SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr)
- PAU 1962 (Nehru inaugurated 1963); GNDU 1969
- Central University: Bathinda, 2009; IIT Ropar 2008
What is the difference between the Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana and the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana?
Show answer
Sarbat Sehat Bima (20 Aug 2019) gave ₹5 lakh of cashless treatment to eligible families. The Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (22 Jan 2026) gives ₹10 lakh of cashless cover to all resident families.
Which three Punjab cities are in the Smart Cities Mission, and which big city is not?
Show answer
Ludhiana (Round 1, Jan 2016), Amritsar and Jalandhar (both Round 2, Sept 2016). Patiala was never selected.
What was PAU called before 1962, and who inaugurated it?
Show answer
It was the Punjab Government College of Agriculture, Ludhiana. It became PAU in 1962, and Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated it on 8 July 1963. Its first Vice-Chancellor was P. N. Thapar.