Which one of the following States decided to merge Annshree Yojana in the National Food Security Scheme in March, 2014 ?

The answer is Delhi (C). In March 2014, the Delhi government decided to merge its Annashree Yojana, a state food-support scheme that gave cash assistance to eligible beneficiaries, into the National Food Security Act framework. This was a state-level decision to rationalise its own welfare schemes with the central scheme.

The core concept is the relationship between central and state food schemes. The National Food Security Act, 2013 gives a legal entitlement to subsidised grain through the TPDS, and states were encouraged to fold or align their own food schemes with it so that beneficiaries were not doubly covered and funds were not duplicated.

• Madhya Pradesh is wrong. Its well-known food scheme is the Annapurna Yojana, which is easily confused with Annashree.
• West Bengal is wrong. It ran its own food-security and subsidy programmes, but this particular merger was not the State's decision.
• Bihar is wrong. Its major schemes of this period were distinct from Annashree, and it did not take this decision in March 2014.

For Mains, this ties into federalism, the role of state welfare schemes under centrally sponsored frameworks, and the efficiency of targeted delivery.

Trap: Aspirants see Annapurna or Annashree and pick Madhya Pradesh by association. Match the scheme name with the state precisely and do not rely on name similarity.