Correct answer: (c) Hariyali
Explanation
- A
Jal Kranti
Option (a) claims that Jal Kranti Abhiyan is the central watershed project for rural water conservation. However, Jal Kranti Abhiyan was launched later in 2015-16 with a focus on water security and conservation in water-stressed districts rather than being the primary watershed development project sponsored by the central government for rural populations.
- B
Pani Sansad
Option (b) claims that Pani Sansad is the central government-sponsored watershed project. Pani Sansad is actually a localized water management initiative associated with community-based water harvesting, notably popularized in states like Rajasthan, rather than a nationwide Central Government-sponsored Watershed Development Project.
- C
Hariyali
Option (c) claims that Hariyali is the Central Government-sponsored watershed development project aimed at enabling the rural population to conserve water. This is the correct answer because the Hariyali guidelines were launched by the Ministry of Rural Development in 2003 to execute watershed development projects through Gram Panchayats with community participation.
- D
None of the above
Option (d) claims that none of the given options are correct. Since option (c) correctly identifies the Hariyali project sponsored by the Central Government, this option stands rejected.
Summary. Official key is (c) Hariyali, which was launched by the Central Government to empower rural communities in water conservation. Options (a) and (b) refer to different water-related initiatives or localized campaigns rather than the specific centrally sponsored watershed project asked in the question. Hariyali guidelines specifically focus on harvesting rainwater and managing wastelands through Gram Panchayats. Candidates often confuse various water schemes launched across different decades. Therefore, carefully distinguishing between broad watershed guidelines and localized campaigns secures the correct answer.