UPSC Prelims 2007 Q127: Current Affairs – Indian Government Schemes & Initiatives
MCA - 21 is a major initiative taken up by the Government of India
in which one of the following areas?
- (a) Foreign Direct Investment in India
- (b) Attracting international tourism
- (c) e - governance
- (d) Modernization of Airports
Answer: (c) e - governance
Explanation
MCA21 — e-governance of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Full form | Ministry of Corporate Affairs — 21st century |
| Launched | 2006 |
| Type | Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) |
| What it does | Online filing for companies — registration, annual returns, charges, director details |
| Later versions | MCA21 V2 and V3 (V3 rolled out from 2021) |
It was one of India's first big G2B (Government-to-Business) e-governance projects.
Answer: (c) e-governance.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Foreign Direct Investment policy is handled by DPIIT, not MCA21.
- (b) Incorrect. Attracting international tourism is the Ministry of Tourism's job (Incredible India).
- (c) CORRECT. MCA21 is the e-governance platform for company filings.
- (d) Incorrect. Modernization of airports falls under the AAI and Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Key point
MCA21 (2006) = Ministry of Corporate Affairs e-governance; NeGP Mission Mode Project for online company filings.
Remember
MCA21 is an e-governance project for company filings.
Common mistakes
- Guessing FDI because the word 'corporate' suggests investment.
- Not knowing MCA = Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
- Confusing MCA21 with e-Biz (single-window business portal).
Exam tip
Expand the acronym first. MCA = Ministry of Corporate Affairs → online company filing → e-governance.
Sources
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs — MCA21 e-Governance Programme (Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan)
- Department of Information Technology, Government of India — National e-Governance Plan (2006)