General Studies 2025 GS Paper IV 20 marks 250 words Compulsory How

Q11

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)

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Directive word: How

This question asks you to how. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

The directive 'how' demands a process-oriented, action-based response demonstrating administrative acumen. Structure as: brief reaction statement (20 words) → systematic actions for each malfeasance type (150 words) covering (a), (b), (c) together through integrated response → forward-looking institutional safeguards (80 words).

Key points expected

  • Immediate reaction: emotional balance, no vendetta, uphold constitutional mandate of Article 41 (Right to Work) and MGNREGA's legal guarantee
  • For (i)-(vii): forensic audit of muster rolls, job cards, bank accounts; GIS verification of works; recovery proceedings under Section 55 of MGNREGA
  • For (a): restoration via transparency (social audits, RTI), grievance redressal, real-time MIS (NMMS/NREGASoft) integration
  • For (b): disciplinary action under CCS (CCA) Rules, FIR under PC Act 1988/IPC 420, blacklisting contractors, bank account verification through Aadhaar seeding
  • For (c): personal integrity through non-negotiables, stakeholder consultation with Gram Sabha, balancing urgency with due process
  • Institutional reforms: geo-tagging 100% works, DBT with Aadhaar, community monitoring through SHGs, capacity building of Panchayat secretaries
  • Conclusion: systemic resilience through 'trust but verify' approach, aligning with SDG 1 (No Poverty) and Antyodaya philosophy

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Demand-directive understanding20%4Correctly interprets 'how' as demanding actionable, step-by-step administrative measures; integrates all sub-parts (i)-(vii) and (a)-(c) without fragmentation; distinguishes between immediate reaction, corrective actions, and systemic handlingPartially addresses 'how' with generic steps; treats sub-parts in isolation or misses some malfeasance types; conflates reaction with actionMisreads directive as descriptive; ignores sub-parts (ii)-(vii) entirely; provides only emotional reaction without actionable content
Content depth & accuracy20%4Demonstrates precise knowledge of MGNREGA operational guidelines (2008), Section 25 (unemployment allowance), Section 27 (penalties), CAG audit findings; cites specific legal provisions (PC Act, IPC, CCS Rules) and administrative mechanisms (NMMS, NREGASoft)Basic understanding of MGNREGA framework; mentions social audit and DBT but lacks specific sections or recent reforms; generic references to corruptionFactual errors (confuses NREGA with MGNREGA dates, misstates wage-share formula); no legal/administrative specifics; irrelevant content on rural development generally
Structure & flow20%4Seamless integration of (a), (b), (c) through thematic grouping (verification → punitive → preventive); clear paragraph transitions; word economy with 250-word discipline; logical progression from crisis response to institutionalizationSeparate headings for (a), (b), (c) causing repetition; some thematic overlap; adequate but not elegant flow; minor word limit violationsFragmented response with numbered lists dominating; no thematic integration; chaotic sequencing; significantly over/under word limit
Examples / case-law / data20%4References specific precedents: CAG 2013 report on MGNREGA irregularities, Jharkhand's 'MGNREGA 2.0' reforms, Andhra Pradesh's real-time monitoring model, Supreme Court in Swaraj Abhiyan v. Union (2016) on drought relief; mentions geo-tagging, ABPS (Aadhaar Based Payment System)Generic mention of social audit success in Rajasthan or Bihar; no specific case law or data; references to 'technology' without naming platformsNo examples; irrelevant case studies (NREGA urban applications); fabricated data; examples from unrelated schemes (PM-KISAN, PMAY)
Conclusion & analytical edge20%4Synthesizes into systemic insight: MGNREGA governance requires 'principle-agent' realignment, citizen-centric accountability, and ethical administration as per Nolan Committee principles; forward-looking without being speculative; connects to larger governance reform agendaStandard conclusion on 'eradicating corruption'; no analytical depth; restates points made in body; generic value statement on honestyNo conclusion; abrupt ending; moralistic sermon without administrative insight; blames political system without constructive framing

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