Behavioral Nudges in Public Policy Implementation
Social Justice & Development
- PYQs5
- Articles1
Background
Relevant to effective governance, public administration, overcoming implementation challenges for welfare schemes, and the application of behavioral economics in policy design and delivery.
Behavioral nudges are subtle interventions that guide individuals towards making desired choices without restricting their freedom of choice. They leverage insights from behavioral economics to design environments where beneficial actions become the default or easier option.
Facts & tables
- Principle
- Design environment where desired action (e.g., vaccination) becomes the default choice, overcoming reluctance, inertia, and discomfort.
- Examples (Mandsaur)
- Informing families they are 'due for vaccination' (vs. asking to choose), repeated counselling for refusers, arranging transportation.
- Countering Misinformation
- Targeted awareness campaigns with Gen-Z influencers, youth icons, religious leaders to dispel myths.
- Social & Digital Nudges
- Public felicitation of vaccinated families, peer champions, gram panchayat/ward-level data sharing for competition/collaboration, red-flag reminders for frontline workers.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Public Administration |
| Conceptual area | Governance |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Mandsaur District Administration | Implements |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Conceptual understanding
Prelims angle: Terminology-based question
- Nudges: Subtle interventions guiding choices without coercion.
- Overcomes: Reluctance, inertia, social discomfort in policy adoption.
- Mandsaur examples: 'Due for vaccination' framing, transport, influencers.
- Social nudges: Public recognition, peer champions, data sharing.
- Relevance: Effective policy implementation, last-mile delivery.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Conceptual understanding, Terminology-based question |
| 2026 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2023 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2023 | Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures |
Timeline
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Public Administration
Conceptual area
-
Governance
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2023
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2023
Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2026
Conceptual understanding, Terminology-based question
-
Prelims 2026
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
A shot at life, Mandsaur’s model for HPV vaccination
Behavioral nudges are policy tools that subtly influence choices towards desired outcomes, crucial for overcoming barriers like hesitancy and inertia in public health campaigns. The Mandsaur HPV vaccination model effectively used nudges like default choices, social recognition, and targeted communication to achieve high coverage.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
Past papers
2023–2026 · 4 questions
In the news
A shot at life, Mandsaur’s model for HPV vaccination
Behavioral nudges are policy tools that subtly influence choices towards desired outcomes, crucial for overcoming barriers like hesitancy and inertia in public health campaigns. The Mandsaur HPV vaccination model effectively used nudges like default choices, social recognition, and targeted communication to achieve high coverage.
Try these PYQs
Mr. X, a senior officer, was overseeing a critical vaccination programme during a pandemic. He found that a private service provider responsible for vaccine distribution was compromising on quality to make profits. Despite immense pressure to manage the issue due to vested interests, he raised his voice based on the principles of public administration which he learnt during various training programmes attended across his career. He reported the issue to the appropriate vigilance authority and halted the contract to ensure citizen welfare.
Which one among the following principles of public administration was most strongly demonstrated by Mr. X's actions?
Accountability is the obligation of public officials to take responsibility for their actions, ensure transparency, and answer to oversight bodies (such as vigilance authorities). It involves actively protecting the public interest, reporting misconduct, and ensuring that private contractors utilizing public funds adhere to strict quality and ethical standards. By reporting the compromised vaccine distribution to the vigilance authority and halting the contract despite immense pressure, Mr. X demonstrated a high degree of accountability towards citizen welfare. Esprit de corps is a classical management principle that emphasizes building team spirit, unity, harmony, and mutual trust among personnel within an organization. It is not the primary principle demonstrated in this scenario. Equity refers to the principle of fairness, justice, and impartiality in administration, ensuring that public services and resources are distributed without bias. While his actions were just, the specific act of reporting to vigilance and taking responsibility highlights accountability rather than equity. Delegation is the administrative process of transferring authority and responsibility for specific tasks from a superior to a subordinate or a third-party service provider. Mr. X's actions were about holding the delegated party accountable, not the act of delegation itself. Therefore, the correct option is C.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I :India's public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
Statement-II: Under India's decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
* Statement I is correct: India's public healthcare system prioritises curative care, which focuses on treating existing illnesses. Preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative care, which aims to prevent diseases, promote good health, and help people recover from illness, receive less emphasis. * Statement II is correct: India's healthcare system follows a decentralised approach. The central government sets policies and provides financial assistance, but individual states are responsible for organising and delivering health services to their populations. This allows for flexibility based on local needs and contexts.
Therefore, the answer is Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
Which of the following statements with respect to the Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) is/are correct ?
1. The period of its implementation is 1st April, 2021 to 31st March, 2026.
2. The key objective of the Revamped RGSA is to develop the governance capabilities of the Panchayati Raj Institutions to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.
3. The share of the Central funding for the Revamped RGSA is 100% for all States and Union Territories.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for implementation from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2026 (co-terminus with the 15th Finance Commission period), not from 1st April 2021. Statement 2 is Correct: The primary objective of the revamped scheme is to develop and enhance the governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) so they can effectively deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It focuses on the localization of SDGs at the grassroots level through inclusive local governance. Statement 3 is Incorrect: The Revamped RGSA is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, meaning the funding is shared between the Centre and the States. It is not 100% centrally funded for all States and UTs. The sharing pattern is 60:40 (Centre:State) for general category States, and 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Hilly States, and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. 100% Central funding applies only to other Union Territories and specific Central components of the scheme. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements in the context of interventions being undertaken under Anaemia Mukt Bharat Strategy:
1. It provides prophylactic calcium supplementation for pre-school children, adolescents and pregnant women.
2. It runs a campaign for delayed cord clamping at the time of child-birth.
3. It provides for periodic deworming to children and adolescents.
4. It addresses non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
* Statement 1 is incorrect: Prophylactic Iron Folic Acid supplementation (not Prophylactic calcium) given to children, adolescents, women of reproductive age and pregnant women, irrespective of anaemia is a key continued intervention. * Statement 2 is correct: Promotion and monitoring of delayed clamping of the umbilical cord for at least 3 minutes (or until cord pulsations cease) for newborns across all health facilities will be carried out for improving the infants iron reserves up to 6 months after birth. Simultaneously, all birth attendants should make an effort to ensure early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth. * Statement 3 is correct: The Anaemia Mukt Bharat, also integrates deworming of women of reproductive age and for pregnant women as part of the NDD strategy. Bi-annual mass deworming for children in the age groups between 1-19 years is carried out on designated dates 10th February and 10th August every year under National Deworming Day (NDD) programme. * Statement 4 is correct: The Anaemia Mukt Bharat strategy attempts to intensify awareness and integrate screening and treatment for non-nutritional causes of anaemia with special focus on malaria, haemoglobinopathies and fluorosis.
Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana:
1. It is safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments.
2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women.
3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect: Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM). It is a central intervention implemented by states, not an intervention of the State Health Departments. Statement 2 is correct: The primary objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by encouraging safe, institutional births. Statement 3 is correct: The scheme provides a cash incentive to mothers to promote institutional delivery, particularly among those from BPL, SC, and ST households. Statement 4 is incorrect: While care for sick infants is a priority under the National Health Mission, the provision of free facilities for sick infants up to one year of age is specifically a feature of the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) launched in 2011. JSY, launched in 2005, is primarily a conditional cash transfer scheme for delivery.