From MGNREGA to Viksit Bharat Rozgar: The Shift in India’s Rural Employment and Agriculture Strategy
- Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently defended the transition from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin).
- Alongside this policy shift, the Centre has launched a massive agricultural initiative involving 184 new climate-resilient seed varieties to bolster food security.
1. The Critique of MGNREGA and Corruption Allegations
- Identifying systemic leakage: The Minister labeled MGNREGA “synonymous with corruption,” citing over 10.51 lakh complaints surfaced through gram sabha social audits.
- Misuse of funds: Allegations include the illegal use of machines for manual-only tasks, siphoning money through ghost projects (like repetitive road cleaning), and the inclusion of ineligible workers, with nearly 30% of registered workers reportedly over the age of 60.
2. Transition to the Viksit Bharat Rozgar Mission
- A “Better” Scheme: The government claims the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill offers a more robust framework than MGNREGA, focusing on sustainable livelihood rather than just manual labor.
- Addressing Opposition criticism: Countering the “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” campaign, the government maintains that the new Bill ensures workers will continue to receive employment but under a more transparent and productive system.
3. Massive Allocation and Expenditure Comparison
- Increased funding: The Minister highlighted that the current government has allocated over ₹8.48 lakh crore to rural employment, significantly higher than the ₹2 lakh crore spent during the previous UPA regime.
- Fiscal scale: This surge in funding aims to support rural infrastructure while transitioning to the new mission-based approach for rural livelihoods.
4. Introduction of Climate-Resilient Seed Varieties
- Tackling abiotic stress: The Centre unveiled 184 high-yielding seed varieties across 25 crops, specifically engineered to withstand soil salinity, drought, and extreme weather patterns.
- Diverse crop range: The rollout includes 122 cereals, 13 oilseeds, 6 pulses, and 24 varieties of cotton (including 22 BT cotton types) to ensure a comprehensive boost across different agricultural sectors.
5. Boosting National Crop Productivity
- Increasing farmer income: These new varieties, developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), are designed to reduce input costs for farmers while simultaneously increasing the total yield per hectare.
- Accelerated approval process: Since 2014, the government has approved 3,236 high-yielding varieties, nearly matching the total number of notifications made between 1969 and 2014.
6. India Surpasses China in Rice Production
- A global milestone: Minister Chouhan announced that India has officially become the world’s largest rice producer, with production reaching 150.18 million tonnes, surpassing China’s 145.28 million tonnes.
- Strengthening food security: This surplus not only ensures domestic stability but also reinforces India’s position as a critical supplier in the global food market.
7. Focus on Regenerative and Natural Farming
- Adapting to acidic soils: ICAR’s Director-General, M.L. Jat, emphasized that new breeding programs are now focused on specialized needs like acidic soil management and organic farming systems.
- Promoting sustainability: The push toward regenerative agriculture is intended to restore soil health while maintaining the high productivity required for a growing population.
8. The Role of the National Seeds Corporation
- Seed multiplication: Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi noted that the National Seeds Corporation is pivotal in scaling up these 184 varieties to ensure they reach small and marginal farmers across the country.
- Ensuring accessibility: The goal is to move these varieties from the lab to the field rapidly to help farmers cope with the 2026 climate challenges.
9. Social Audits and Transparency Mechanisms
- Gram Sabha empowerment: The government plans to use the data from previous social audits to build “leak-proof” digital payment systems within the new Viksit Bharat Mission.
- Reducing siphoning: By eliminating the repetition of work and the use of heavy machinery in manual labor quotas, the new mission aims to ensure that funds reach the actual rural workforce.
10. Strategic Vision for “Viksit Bharat” by 2047
- Integrating labor and tech: The transition reflects a broader vision of integrating rural labor with advanced agricultural technology (like BT cotton and climate-smart seeds).
- Rural-to-National growth: The government views the streamlining of rural employment and the modernization of seeds as twin engines to drive India toward becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Rural Employment Reform & Climate-Resilient Agriculture Quiz
Instructions
Total Questions: 15
Time: 15 Minutes
Each question has 5 options. Multiple answers may be correct.
Time Left: 15:00