[*Discuss how technology-enabled governance under the VB–G RAM G Act addresses the chronic implementation failures of MGNREGA.*](/upsc-mains-answer/discuss-technology-enabled-governance-under-vb-907ee10)

Q. Discuss how technology-enabled governance under the VB–G RAM G Act addresses the chronic implementation failures of MGNREGA. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 repeals MGNREGA, 2005 and commences across rural India from 01 July 2026, raising the guarantee to 125 days per household per financial year [1][3]. Its distinguishing feature is that transparency tools once administrative are now embedded in the statute itself — a direct response to MGNREGA's chronic delivery failures.

MGNREGA's chronic failures - Wage delays eroding the entitlement's value for distress-hit households. - Ghost muster rolls and fake beneficiaries inflating attendance and diverting funds. - Weak asset durability and poor work-site verification. - Thin administrative capacity, capped at 6% expenditure, limiting technical supervision [1].

Technology-enabled corrections - Biometric authentication of workers attacks ghost muster rolls at source by tying payment to a verified identity [2]. - Geo-referencing of works allows before-and-after verification of assets, addressing durability and duplicate-work complaints [2]. - DBT wage transfer to bank/post-office accounts, weekly or within 15 days of muster-roll closure, with delay compensation payable on default — converting timeliness into an enforceable right [4]. - Digital MIS-based monitoring enables real-time tracking across the four thematic work areas — water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure and extreme-weather mitigation [1][2]. - Administrative ceiling raised 6% → 9%, funding the staffing and technical capacity that any digital system needs to run [1].

Limits of a technology-only fix - Technology cannot substitute for the social audit; hence Section 20 mandates Gram Sabha audits at least once every six months, with women's participation strengthened [4]. - Authentication failures and connectivity gaps risk exclusion errors in remote areas. - Effectiveness depends on State-level preparedness, being reviewed by the Department of Rural Development ahead of rollout [5].

Technology under VB–G RAM G shifts accountability from paper trails to verifiable digital evidence, but its gains will hold only where digital monitoring is paired with the Gram Sabha's community oversight. Coupling biometric and geo-tagged verification with genuinely empowered social audits would make the 125-day guarantee both leak-proof and inclusive, advancing the Article 41 promise of the right to work within the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.

(~330 words)

Sources: 1. President gives assent to Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB—G RAM G) Bill, 2025 — PIB — repeal of MGNREGA, 125-day guarantee, four thematic work areas, 6%→9% administrative ceiling 2. Backgrounder: Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), 2025 — PIB — biometric authentication, geo-referencing, digital monitoring 3. Historic Commencement of Viksit Bharat – G RAM G Act Across Rural India from July 1st 2026 — PIB — commencement date 01/07/2026 in all rural areas 4. VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 Empowers Rural Women with Inclusive Support — PIB — DBT wage payment within 15 days with delay compensation; Section 20 six-monthly Gram Sabha social audit and women's participation 5. Secretary, Department of Rural Development Reviews States' Preparedness for Rollout of VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 — PIB — State/UT preparedness review by DoRD