Which one of the following poverty alleviation programmes was started in earlier phase in India?

Correct option is A

The correct answer is (a) Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP). The Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) was initiated in 1978-79, making it one of the earliest poverty alleviation programmes in India. It aimed at providing employment opportunities and promoting self-employment among the rural poor through subsidies and bank credit. The programme sought to improve the socio-economic conditions of the underprivileged sections of society by enabling them to achieve a sustainable level of income.
Information Booster:
 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), introduced in 2005, guarantees 100 days of wage-employment in a financial year to any rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
 Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), launched in April 1999, aimed at promoting self-employment in rural areas through the formation of self-help groups and assistance in achieving sustainable income.
 The initiation of IRDP marked a significant shift in the approach to poverty alleviation in India, focusing on direct income-generating schemes and self-employment, setting the foundation for subsequent programmes targeting similar objectives.