The deliberate unmaking of India’s ‘right to work’, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025 has replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), enacted in 2005.
• The new law shifts from a demand-driven to a supply-driven framework, centralizing control with the Union government.
• Funding ratio between the Centre and States has changed from 90:10 to 60:40, potentially burdening states.
• The VB-G RAM G Bill was passed swiftly without extensive parliamentary consultation, unlike the original MGNREGA.

Detailed Insights:

• MGNREGA was a response to post-liberalization challenges like agrarian distress and jobless growth, aiming to provide social protection through a rights-based approach.
• The repeal of MGNREGA reflects a shift towards prioritizing market imperatives and corporate interests over the state's obligation to ensure livelihood security.
• The new law may lead to poorer states curtailing project approvals, suppressing demand for work due to increased financial burden.
• MGNREGA's success in strengthening rural livelihoods, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, makes its repeal a setback for social and economic justice.
• The transition from MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G signifies a move from enforceable rights to discretionary state benevolence, impacting democratic accountability.

Key Concepts Involved:

• MGNREGA: A demand-driven, rights-based program guaranteeing employment to rural households.
• Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G): A supply-driven program where the central government controls resource allocation.
• Fiscal Federalism: The division of financial responsibilities between the central and state governments.