The Economic Survey 2025–26 cautions that unchecked rural–urban migration strains cities and weakens villages through a care drain. Existing schemes fall short. It calls for holistic rural revival by boosting non-farm jobs, local governance, and rural–urban integration to achieve sustainable, inclusive growth.
Click to View MoreMahatma Gandhi was the central figure who transformed India’s freedom struggle into a mass movement based on truth and non-violence. After returning from South Africa, he led early local struggles like Champaran, Kheda, and the Ahmedabad Mill Strike, which established Satyagraha as an effective method of resistance. He later spearheaded nationwide movements such as Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, and Quit India, mobilizing millions against British rule. Beyond political freedom, Gandhi promoted social reform, self-reliance through Swadeshi and Khadi, communal harmony, and upliftment of the weakest sections. His principles of Ahimsa, Sarvodaya, and Trusteeship continue to influence ideas of ethical governance, social justice, and peaceful conflict resolution worldwide.
Click to View MoreThe 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 Union Government launched a ₹507 crore project to strengthen community-based disaster risk reduction by empowering PRIs in 81 vulnerable districts. It institutionalises bottom-up planning through GPDP integration. Success depends on fixing PRI gaps in funds, functions, and functionaries while aligning with national law and the Sendai Framework.
Click to View MoreThe proposed VB-G RAM G Bill seeks to replace MGNREGA, raising workdays to 125 but shifting from a rights-based, demand-driven scheme to a budget-capped model. Greater central control, higher state cost sharing and work-pause provisions risk centralisation and dilution of the rural poor’s right to work.
Click to View MoreMGNREGA, renamed Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana, expands workdays to 125 and raises wages to boost rural livelihoods. While reforms promise stronger asset creation and women’s empowerment, delays in payments, employment gaps and administrative inefficiencies persist. Effective planning, transparency and accountability remain crucial for impact.
Click to View MoreMGNREGA, renamed Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana, expands workdays to 125 and raises wages to boost rural livelihoods. While reforms promise stronger asset creation and women’s empowerment, delays in payments, employment gaps and administrative inefficiencies persist. Effective planning, transparency and accountability remain crucial for impact.
Click to View MoreThe Jal Jeevan Mission provides rural households with safe tap water, focusing on source sustainability, quality, and community management. While progressing, it faces challenges including O&M, water quality, and ensuring the long-term functionality of connections.
Click to View MoreThe 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 MoreKarnataka’s Jala Sanjeevini programme tackles drought by combining GIS mapping with community inputs through a mobile app. Using MGNREGA funds, it builds targeted water structures that recharge groundwater, improve soil moisture, and strengthen rural resilience—offering a scalable conservation model.
Click to View MoreThe Model Youth Gram Sabha (MYGS) revitalizes grassroots democracy by simulating Gram Sabha proceedings in schools. It offers experiential learning aligned with NEP 2020, combats youth apathy, nurtures leadership, and builds awareness of civic responsibilities, promoting inclusive, transparent, and participatory rural governance for future citizens.
Click to View MoreAgricultural drones are transforming farming in India by improving efficiency, reducing labor, and enhancing safety. They perform tasks like spraying, seeding, monitoring crops, and mapping fields, making agriculture more precise and sustainable. While they offer significant benefits, challenges such as high costs, technical training, and potential job displacement remain. Government initiatives are promoting adoption, aiming to modernize farming and boost productivity.
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