Which of the following programs was launched first in India?

Appeared in: NORCET 9 Mains - 2025

Explanation

The National Family Planning Program (NFPP) was launched by the Government of India in 1952.
With its launch in 1952, India became the first country in the world to initiate a state-sponsored family planning program.
The launch year of NFPP (1952) is significantly earlier than that of NACO (1992) and NHM (2013), making it the first program among the options.

Option A: The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) was established in 1992, which is 40 years after the launch of the NFPP.
Option B: The National Health Mission (NHM) was launched in 2013. It is a more recent initiative that integrated the National Rural Health Mission (launched in 2005) and the National Urban Health Mission.
Option D: This option is incorrect because a correct option, the National Family Planning Program (NFPP), is present in the list.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Chronology of National Health Programs in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the history of national health programs is crucial for community health nurses to appreciate the evolution of public health policies and their impact on current healthcare delivery systems.
Knowledge of these programs helps nurses identify available resources and schemes for different health needs, such as family planning, infectious disease control, and rural health outreach.
What if the question asked for the first program related to communicable disease control among the options? The answer would likely be related to programs like the National Malaria Eradication Programme (1958), but among the given choices, NACO (1992) would be the most relevant for a specific major communicable disease.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is to find the program with the earliest launch date among the given options.
Recall the approximate time periods or specific launch years for each program: NFPP, NACO, and NHM.
Compare the dates: NFPP was a post-independence initiative from the 1950s, NACO was established in the 1990s to combat HIV/AIDS, and NHM is a 21st-century mission from the 2010s.
Based on this chronological understanding, select the program with the earliest launch year, which is NFPP (1952).

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) pp. 10-12, 54-56

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart B (pp 233-449 of 464) p. 200-202

Practise the full NORCET 9 Mains - 2025

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.