UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The broken promise of right to work

Q1. The provision empowering a State Government to announce in advance a period of up to 60 days in a financial year during which no works shall be started or carried out under the rural wage-employment guarantee, so as to align with sowing and harvesting, is contained in which one of the following?

  • A. The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025
  • B. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, as subsequently amended
  • C. The Code on Wages, 2019, in its application to rural unskilled manual workers
  • D. The framework guidelines of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission

Q2. Which one of the following correctly states the maximum statutory wage-employment entitlement of a rural household under the law in force in rural India since 1 July 2026?

  • A. 100 days in a financial year, with 50 additional days in blocks notified as drought-affected
  • B. 125 days in a financial year, subject to a State-announced pause of up to 60 days when no works are taken up
  • C. 150 days in a financial year, as recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee for rural households
  • D. 125 days in a calendar year, with no power in the States to suspend works during agricultural seasons

Q3. Of the constitutional provisions Article 38, Article 41, Article 43 and Article 19(1)(g), how many are located in Part IV of the Constitution of India?

  • A. One only
  • B. Two only
  • C. Three only
  • D. All four

Q4. Employment guarantee legislation for rural households is most directly described as giving effect to which one of the following provisions of the Constitution of India?

  • A. Article 43, Part IV
  • B. Article 41, Part IV
  • C. Article 39(a), Part IV
  • D. Article 21, Part III

Q5. The agricultural 'pause', cited by the Centre as a major reason for the drop in person-days generated in July 2026, is announced by which one of the following?

  • A. The State Government, which must announce the period in advance for the financial year
  • B. The Gram Sabha of the Gram Panchayat concerned, while approving the annual plan of works
  • C. The National Level Steering Committee constituted under the Act, for each agro-climatic zone
  • D. The Department of Rural Development in the Union Government, through an annual works calendar

Q6. Under the VB–G RAM G Act, 2025, the State-wise normative allocation for each financial year — beyond which a State must meet the excess expenditure itself — is determined by which one of the following?

  • A. Each State Steering Committee, which fixes the State's own annual ceiling of expenditure
  • B. NITI Aayog, in consultation with the Ministry of Rural Development and the States concerned
  • C. The Central Government, on the recommendations of the National Level Steering Committee
  • D. The Finance Commission, as part of its recommendations on centrally sponsored transfers