GS Paper IV — Q11
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program, MGNREGA was earlier known as National Rural Employment Scheme, NREGA…
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program, MGNREGA was earlier known as National Rural Employment Scheme, NREGA. It is an Indian Social Welfare Program that aimed at fulfilling the 'Right to Work' provisions made in the Constitution. MGNREGA was launched in 2006 under Rural Employment Sector by the Ministry of Rural Development. Main objective of the program is to give legal guarantee of wage employment to the adult members of rural households who are willing to do unskilled manual labour work subject to a maximum of 100 days per year for every household. Every rural household has the right to register under the scheme, job card is issued to the registered, Job Card holder can seek employment; State Government shall pay 25% of minimum wage for the first 30 days as compensatory daily unemployment allowance to the families and of wage for remaining period of the year. MGNREGA work was undertaken by various Gram Panchayats. You have been appointed as an Administrator Incharge of the District. You have been given the responsibility of monitoring MGNREGA work undertaken by various Gram Panchayats. You are also given the authority to give technical sanctions to all MGNREGA works. In one of the Panchayats in your jurisdiction, you notice that your predecessor has mismanaged the Program in terms of: (i) Money not disbursed to actual job-seekers. (ii) Muster Rolls of the Labourers not properly maintained. (iii) Mismatch between the work done and payments made. (iv) Payments made to fictitious persons. (v) Job Cards were given without looking into the need of person. (vi) Mismanagement of funds and to the extent of siphoning of funds. (vii) Approved works that never existed. (a) What is your reaction to the above situation and how do you restore the proper functioning of MGNREGA Program in this regard? (b) What actions would you initiate to solve the various issues listed above? (c) How would you deal with the above situation? (Answer in 250 words)
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
महात्मा गांधी राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोजगार गारंटी कार्यक्रम, एम जी एन आर ई जी ए को पहले राष्ट्रीय ग्रामीण रोजगार योजना, एन आर ई जी ए के रूप में जाना जाता था। यह एक भारतीय समाज कल्याण कार्यक्रम है जिसका उद्देश्य संविधान में दिए गए 'काम करने के अधिकार' के प्रावधानों को पूरा करना है। ग्रामीण विकास मंत्रालय द्वारा ग्रामीण रोजगार क्षेत्र के अंतर्गत 2006 में मनरेगा शुरू किया गया। कार्यक्रम का मुख्य उद्देश्य ग्रामीण परिवार के वयस्क सदस्यों को मजदूरी रोजगार की कानूनी गारंटी देना है जो प्रति परिवार अधिकतम प्रतिवर्ष 100 दिनों की सीमा के अधीन अकुशल शारीरिक श्रम कार्य के लिए तैयार हैं; प्रत्येक ग्रामीण परिवार को इस योजना के अंतर्गत पंजीकरण कराने का अधिकार है; जॉब कार्ड पंजीकृत को जारी किया जाता है; जॉब कार्ड धारक रोजगार की तलाश कर सकता है; राज्य सरकार परिवारों को प्रतिपूरक दैनिक बेरोजगारी भत्ते के रूप में पहले 30 दिनों के लिए न्यूनतम मजदूरी का 25% और वर्ष की शेष अवधि के लिए मजदूरी का भुगतान करेगी। विभिन्न ग्राम पंचायतों द्वारा मनरेगा कार्य कराया गया। आपको एक जिले का प्रभारी प्रशासक नियुक्त किया गया है। आपको विभिन्न ग्राम पंचायतों द्वारा किए जा रहे मनरेगा कार्यों की निगरानी की जिम्मेदारी दी गई है। आपको सभी मनरेगा कार्यों की तकनीकी मंजूरी देने का अधिकार भी दिया गया है। आपके अधिकार क्षेत्र में एक पंचायत में आपने देखा कि आपके पूर्ववर्ती ने कार्यक्रम का निम्न प्रकार से कुप्रबंधन किया है: (i) वास्तविक नौकरी चाहने वालों को धन वितरित नहीं किया गया है। (ii) मजदूरों की मास्टर रोल का ठीक से रखरखाव नहीं किया गया है। (iii) किए गए कार्य और किए गए भुगतान के बीच बेमेल है। (iv) फर्जी व्यक्तियों को भुगतान किया गया है। (v) व्यक्ति की आवश्यकता को देखे बिना जॉब कार्ड दिए गए हैं। (vi) निधियों का कुप्रबंधन तथा निधियों की कुछ हद तक हेराफेरी हुई है। (vii) ऐसे स्वीकृत कार्य जो कभी अस्तित्व में ही नहीं थे। (a) उपरोक्त स्थिति पर आपकी क्या प्रतिक्रिया है तथा आप इस क्षेत्र में मनरेगा कार्यक्रम के समुचित संचालन को कैसे बहाल करेंगे? (b) उपर सूचीबद्ध विभिन्न मुद्दों को हल करने के लिए आप क्या कार्रवाई शुरू करेंगे? (c) आप उपरोक्त स्थिति से कैसे निपटेंगे? (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)
Model answer
Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.
(MGNREGA has since been succeeded by the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025; the approach below applies equally under the new framework.)
(a) Reaction and Restoring Proper Functioning
The irregularities deny a legal entitlement to the poorest households and defeat the Act's guarantee of wage employment, read with Article 41. My reaction would be firm but fact-driven: no scapegoating and no cover-up. I would immediately freeze further payments and technical sanctions in the Panchayat, secure muster rolls, job cards, measurement books and bank records, and inform the State Government. Genuine workers must not suffer, so wages for verified work, and unemployment allowance where due, would be paid promptly while the inquiry proceeds.
(b) Actions on the Specific Issues
- Money not reaching job-seekers and payments to fictitious persons (i, iv): verify every beneficiary through Aadhaar-seeded, account-based payments and door-to-door checks, and stop payments to unverified accounts.
- Muster rolls (ii): reconstruct them from records and worksite checks; insist on NMMS app attendance and weekly public display.
- Mismatch of work and payment, and works that never existed (iii, vii): field measurement by an independent technical team, geo-tagged photographs and Gram Sabha verification; cancel sanctions for non-existent works.
- Job cards issued without need (v): re-verify households at a special Gram Sabha, cancel duplicate and ineligible cards, and issue cards to excluded households.
- Siphoning of funds (vi): special audit and a social audit under Section 17; recovery of misappropriated amounts; FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and BNS Sections 316(5) and 318 (formerly IPC 409 and 420); disciplinary action against the officials involved and penalty under Section 25.
(c) Overall Approach
I would act through due process: a fact-finding report before fixing responsibility on my predecessor, a fair hearing to those accused, and no delay in paying genuine workers. Workers, the Gram Sabha, SHGs, Panchayat functionaries and the State Government would be kept informed through public hearings (jan sunwai). To prevent recurrence, I would institutionalise regular social audits, a grievance helpline, monthly district reviews on NREGASoft data, and training for Panchayat secretaries and technical assistants. This combines integrity with compassion and restores trust in a lifeline programme.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: GS4 Ethical Dilemma & Administrative Action
What earns full marks: Clear reaction, specific actions mapped to issues, balanced approach with legal/ethical grounding.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- (a) State your reaction to the mismanagement and how you would restore proper functioning of the programme.
comment— context → arguments both sides → judgment → close
Must cover
- Recognise the gravity: denial of a legal entitlement to the poor and breach of public trust
- Immediate steps: freeze payments/sanctions, secure records, inform the State Government
- Protect genuine workers: pay verified wages and unemployment allowance
- Commitment to transparency and due process (no witch-hunt, no cover-up)
Loses marks
- Preaching without administrative steps
- Ignoring the predecessor aspect
- No restoration plan
Earns more
- Link to the right to work (Article 41) and the Act's guarantee
- Distinguish personal failings of the predecessor from systemic gaps
- Firm but procedural tone
Extra mark
- Specific provisions (Section 17 social audit, Section 25 penalty)
- Note that MGNREGA is now succeeded by the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025
- (b) Specify actions to address each of the listed irregularities.
suggest— the problem in one line → implementable measures → who acts → conclusion
Must cover
- Fictitious persons and diverted payments: beneficiary verification, account-based payments
- Muster rolls: reconstruction, NMMS attendance, public display
- Work–payment mismatch and non-existent works: independent measurement, geo-tagging, cancel sanctions
- Siphoning: special and social audit, recovery, FIR (PC Act; BNS 316(5)/318), disciplinary action
Loses marks
- Generic advice not mapped to issues
- Ignoring the technical-sanction authority
- No distinction between immediate and long-term actions
Earns more
- Job-card re-verification through the Gram Sabha
- Use of technology (geo-tagging, MIS/NREGASoft)
- Use of the technical-sanction authority to stop dubious works
Extra mark
- Reference to the MIS/NREGASoft and NMMS
- Social audit under Section 17
- (c) Explain your overall approach to dealing with the situation.
discuss— intro → 3-4 dimensions → example → balanced close
Must cover
- Due process: fact-finding, fair hearing, then accountability
- Stakeholder engagement (workers, Gram Sabha, SHGs, Panchayat, State)
- Restoring public confidence (jan sunwai, transparency)
- Preventive measures for the future (audits, grievance redress, training, reviews)
Loses marks
- Repeating part (b)
- Ignoring the actual workers
- Conclusion repeating the introduction
Earns more
- Transparency and accountability as guiding values
- Welfare-state obligation to the poorest
- Balanced view of the predecessor's role
Extra mark
- Administrative law principles (natural justice)
- Public interest test in prioritising actions
What "How" is asking you to do
Set out the route by which the outcome comes about, step by step. Many how stems ask how one thing affects another, and there the channel of transmission is precisely what is being marked.
Structure that answers it
Starting condition → step → step → outcome reached → the conditions the route depends on
Where marks are lost
Answering why it happens instead of how, the commonest single misread in the paper. An answer full of causes and significance that never traces the mechanism has answered a different question.
Practice this exact question
Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.
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