‘SWAYAM’, an initiative of the Government of India, aims at

D is correct. SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) is the national online learning platform run under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, now the Ministry of Education. It offers free online courses from Class 9 up to postgraduate level, with certification available on payment of a nominal fee. Note that the question is from 2016, but the platform went live only in 2017, after it was announced. So the question tests the stated objective of the scheme, not an operating platform at that time.

Core concept: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and digital public goods as a way to widen access to quality education. This links to SDG 4 and to Mains questions on the digital divide and whether online access actually reaches the rural poor.

• A is wrong. Promotion of Self Help Groups is the job of the Ministry of Rural Development through the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
• B is wrong. Support for start-ups comes from Startup India (DPIIT, 2016) and Stand-Up India, which targets SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
• C is wrong. Adolescent girls are covered by the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (SABLA) under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Trap: Many aspirants reject D because they think certification is free too. The learning is free, but the certificate carries a fee.