Viksit Bharat – G Ram G Act: New Foundation for Self-Reliant Villages

Syllabus: Government Policies and Interventions

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

Why in news?

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the 'Viksit Bharat – G Ram G' law in Erode, reforming rural employment guarantee with increased days and decentralized decision-making.

⚛️Static Concepts

MGNREGA 200573rd Amendment ActSocial Audit

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Prelims-Oriented Points

Employment Guarantee: Increased from 100 days to 125 days per household per year.
Unemployment Allowance: Mandatory if work is not provided within the stipulated period.
Wage Delay Compensation: Interest to be paid if wages are delayed by more than 15 days.
Administrative Expenditure: Cap raised from 6% to 9% to ensure timely salaries for field staff.
Decentralization: Gram Sabhas empowered to decide development works; decisions moved from Delhi/Chennai to village level.

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Examiner's Trap: The employment guarantee has been hiked to 125 days (not 150) universal, though some specific state amendments to MGNREGA previously existed.

Quick Data Points

125 days guarantee

9% administrative expenditure cap

15 days limit for wage payment without interest

Mains Value Addition

GS-2: Welfare Schemes; Devolution of Powers; Rural Development.

Decentralization: Empowering Gram Sabhas to choose works aligns with the spirit of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.
Social Security: Unemployment allowance and delay compensation interest make the guarantee more robust and reliable.
Capacity Building: Increasing administrative expense cap to 9% ensures better staffing and audit mechanisms at the ground level.

Source

Press Information Bureau (PIB)

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