The replacement of MGNREGA with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) marks a major shift in India’s rural employment policy. While MGNREGA functioned as a universal, demand-driven and rights-based employment guarantee that supported vulnerable rural households, the new framework emphasises fiscal discipline, centralised planning and productivity-linked employment. The transition reflects the government’s intent to reform rural welfare delivery, but it also raises concerns about dilution of the right to work, increased burden on states, and potential exclusion of marginalised communities.
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The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) aims to enhance livelihood security in rural India by guaranteeing at least 100 days of wage employment annually to rural households willing to perform unskilled manual work. The scheme emphasizes inclusion, with at least one-third of beneficiaries being women, and mandates timely wage payments with legal entitlements for unemployment allowances if work is not provided within 15 days of demand. MGNREGA supports sustainable rural development through asset creation such as water conservation, drought proofing, irrigation, and rural infrastructure. The Act strengthens decentralized planning through Panchayati Raj Institutions and encourages transparency via social audits.
Click to View MoreKerala will be "extreme poverty-free" by November 1, 2025, a goal achieved through a decentralized model led by local bodies and Kudumbashree. They identified vulnerable families and addressed their food, health, and housing needs, marking a significant step in inclusive growth and SDG-1.
Click to View MorePM SVANidhi scheme, launched in 2020, offers collateral-free working capital loans to street vendors to restart and expand their businesses. Recently extended until March 31, 2030, with enhanced loan amounts and new features like UPI-linked RuPay Credit Cards, the scheme significantly improves vendors' socio-economic status and promotes self-reliance.
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