{"id":352607,"date":"2025-12-23T21:27:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T15:57:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=352607"},"modified":"2025-12-26T15:01:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T09:31:40","slug":"death-knell-for-the-rural-job-guarantee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/death-knell-for-the-rural-job-guarantee\/","title":{"rendered":"Death knell for the rural job guarantee"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPSC Syllabus Topic:<\/strong> GS Paper 3 -Indian economy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Death knell for the rural job guarantee<\/strong> captures the shift from a rights-based rural employment system<\/strong> to a discretionary framework<\/strong>. The replacement of MGNREGA by the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025<\/strong> changes rural employment from an enforceable right linked to dignity and survival<\/strong> into an administratively sanctioned programme<\/strong>. This transition weakens constitutional values, decentralisation, and livelihood security<\/strong> for the rural poor. Death knell for the rural job guarantee.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Death<\/p>\n

MGNREGA: A Rights-Based Employment Framework<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Constitutional foundation:<\/strong> The right to livelihood<\/strong> is an integral part of the right to life under Article 21<\/strong>, as affirmed by the Supreme Court in Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985)<\/strong>. MGNREGA translated this constitutional principle into practice<\/strong> by recognising employment as a necessary condition for a dignified life<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  2. Demand-driven guarantee:<\/strong> MGNREGA ensured work on demand<\/strong>. If employment was not provided within 15 days<\/strong>, workers had the right to unemployment allowance<\/strong>, making the State legally accountable<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  3. Justiciable worker rights:<\/strong> The law guaranteed timely wage payments, delay compensation, minimum wages, and equal wages for men and women<\/strong>. These rights were legally enforceable<\/strong> and not dependent on administrative discretion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  4. Ecological and institutional role:<\/strong> MGNREGA focused on creating durable assets to address ecological distress<\/strong>. It also strengthened panchayat raj institutions<\/strong> by placing planning and execution at the local level<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Impact of MGNREGA<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Universal and inclusive design:<\/strong> MGNREGA was universal rather than targeted<\/strong>, avoiding exclusion errors<\/strong> and ensuring that all rural households facing distress<\/strong> could access employment without complex eligibility conditions<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    2. Improvement in rural incomes:<\/strong> Within a few years of implementation, studies showed a rise in workers\u2019 incomes<\/strong>and a decline in overall poverty<\/strong>. Increased income stability also led to higher school enrolment<\/strong> among rural households.<\/li>\n
    3. Reduced dependence on moneylenders:<\/strong> According to the India Human Development Survey<\/strong>, reliance on moneylenders declined by 21%<\/strong>, indicating reduced vulnerability to debt traps and informal exploitation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    4. Transformative impact on women:<\/strong> Before MGNREGA, about 45% of women workers<\/strong> were either not engaged in paid work<\/strong> or worked only on family farms<\/strong>. Over the last five years, women\u2019s participation averaged around 58%<\/strong>, reflecting the impact of equal wages, proximity of worksites, and predictable employment<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    5. Reduction in social inequalities:<\/strong> The programme helped counter caste and gender inequalities<\/strong> by reducing dependence on dominant-caste employers<\/strong>. Gram Sabha oversight and social audits<\/strong> enabled community assertion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    6. Global recognition and crisis role:<\/strong> International opinion shifted from criticism to praise, with the World Bank calling MGNREGA a \u201cstellar example\u201d of rural development in 2014<\/strong>. Its role during the COVID-19 crisis<\/strong> showed its value as a shock absorber<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      New Employment Law: VB-G RAM G Act, 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      What is VB-G RAM G Act:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 replaces MGNREGA<\/strong> by redefining rural employment as a mission-based programme rather than a legal guarantee<\/strong>. It shifts responsibility from workers\u2019 demand to administrative planning and central approval<\/strong>, turning employment from a right enforceable against the State<\/strong> into a scheme dependent on discretion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      Features<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Shift in policy logic:<\/strong> The new law replaces demand-driven employment<\/strong> with administratively planned works<\/strong>. Employment now depends on pre-approved missions<\/strong>, not workers\u2019 applications.<\/li>\n
      2. Centralised control:<\/strong> Section 5(1)<\/strong> grants the Union government wide discretion<\/strong> over where, what, and how<\/strong> public works will be executed. Local autonomy embedded in MGNREGA stands diluted<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      3. Normative allocations:<\/strong> Section 4(5)<\/strong> introduces State-wise normative fund allocations<\/strong> based on parameters decided by the Centre<\/strong>, converting a legal guarantee into a centrally sponsored allocation model<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      4. Altered fiscal responsibility:<\/strong> The Centre\u2013State funding ratio shifts to 60:40<\/strong> for most States. Any expenditure beyond the allocated norm must be borne entirely by States<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Major Concerns of the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. Erosion of enforceable rights:<\/strong> The new law removes the obligation of the Union government to compensate workers for wage delays<\/strong>, despite judicial directions fixing such liability on the Centre<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        2. Threat to federal balance:<\/strong> While control is centralised<\/strong>, financial responsibility is shifted to States<\/strong>, creating risks of political favouritism and uneven access<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        3. Work rationing risk:<\/strong> Fiscal pressure on States<\/strong> may lead to suppression of work demand<\/strong>, increasing unemployment and distress-driven migration<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        4. Seasonal employment restriction:<\/strong> The provision denying work for 60 days during the agricultural season<\/strong> harms landless workers and women<\/strong>, reinforcing land, caste, and gender hierarchies<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        5. Illusory employment promise:<\/strong> The claim of 125 days of employment per household<\/strong> lacks credibility when average employment remains around 50 days<\/strong> due to funding constraints<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        6. Exclusion through administration:<\/strong> Technocratic controls<\/strong>, including rigid norms and digital compliance, widen the gap between workers and officials<\/strong> and create new spaces for corruption<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        7. Weak accountability mechanisms:<\/strong> The law introduces no new safeguards to address corruption<\/strong>. Existing mechanisms like social audits remain underfunded and ineffective<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          For detailed information on VB-G RAM G Bill \u2013 Provisions & Significance<\/strong> read this article here<\/a><\/p>\n

          Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n

          MGNREGA blended Gandhian local governance with Ambedkarite rights-based citizenship<\/strong>. The VB-G RAM G Act formalises a long erosion<\/strong> of this framework by replacing enforceable rights with discretion and central control<\/strong>. Rural employment policy needs reform, not dismantling of rights<\/strong>. Diluting accountability weakens dignity, justice, and the constitutional promise to rural India<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

          Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n

          Examine how the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 replaces the rights-based employment guarantee under MGNREGA with a discretionary framework and its implications for rural livelihoods.<\/p>\n

          Source<\/strong>: The Hindu<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 -Indian economy. Introduction Death knell for the rural job guarantee captures the shift from a rights-based rural employment system to a discretionary framework. The replacement of MGNREGA by the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 changes rural employment from an enforceable right linked to dignity and survival into an administratively… Continue reading Death knell for the rural job guarantee<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":352746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[216,8184,10498],"class_list":["post-352607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-gs-paper-3","tag-indian-economy","tag-the-hindu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Death-knell-for-the-rural-job-guarantee.png?fit=1280%2C850&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/352746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}