Viksit Bharat Gramin Mission 2025: Guaranteeing Rural Employment and Livelihoods

Answer: D

Statement 1 is correct as the news explicitly states the Act guarantees 125 days of wage employment. Statement 2 is correct as 'fostering livelihood infrastructure for sustainable incomes' and 'ensuring water security' are listed among its core objectives. Statement 3 is also correct, as the summary highlights its emphasis on 'climate resilience and disaster preparedness', making it a distinguishing feature aligned with the broader Viksit Bharat vision, building upon but enhancing previous schemes like MGNREGA which had less explicit focus on these aspects.

Answer: B

Statement 1 is correct. MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households. Statement 2 is incorrect. The VB G RAM G Act, like MGNREGA, emphasizes 'durable asset creation for growth and resilience', which typically includes both community assets (e.g., water harvesting structures, roads) and assets on individual lands of vulnerable sections. The summary mentions 'strengthening core rural infrastructure' and 'fostering livelihood infrastructure', which are generally community-oriented or benefit a group. Focusing 'primarily' on individual beneficiaries is misleading and not aligned with the broader objectives of such schemes. Statement 3 is correct. Article 41 of the DPSP states that 'The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want.' This forms the constitutional basis for employment guarantee schemes.

Answer: D

Statement A is correct. By providing assured income, such schemes inject purchasing power into the rural economy, stimulating demand, especially during lean seasons or economic slowdowns. Statement B is correct. Rural employment schemes provide alternative work, reducing the pressure on land and addressing disguised unemployment where more people are employed than actually needed in agriculture. Statement C is correct. Guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment to a large rural population involves substantial public expenditure, which can increase the government's fiscal burden. Statement D is NOT correct. While the scheme aims for 'durable asset creation' and 'livelihood infrastructure', and some assets may be on individual land of vulnerable sections, it does not guarantee 'direct investment in farm-level assets for all farmers'. Its primary focus is on providing employment and creating public/community assets or assets for the most vulnerable, not a blanket increase in agricultural productivity for all farmers through direct farm investment. The impact on overall agricultural productivity is indirect and complex, not a direct 'significant increase' for 'all farmers' through 'direct investment'.

Answer: B

Statement 1 is correct. Social audits are a crucial and mandatory component of employment guarantee schemes like MGNREGA, ensuring transparency and accountability at the grassroots level. Statement 2 is correct. Gram Panchayats play a pivotal role in the decentralized implementation of these schemes, from planning to execution and wage disbursement. Statement 3 is incorrect. While the Central Government bears a significant portion of the cost (e.g., 100% of unskilled labour wages and 75% of material cost in MGNREGA), the State Governments also contribute, especially to material costs and administrative expenses. Therefore, these are typically Centrally Sponsored Schemes, not purely Central Sector Schemes (where 100% funding and implementation is by the Centre).