GK Question

polity medium mcq

Social audit, mandated under MGNREGA and promoted for other schemes, derives its legal basis from which provision?

  1. Article 32 of Constitution
  2. Section 17 of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, 2005
  3. Right to Information Act, 2005
  4. All of the above

Answer: Section 17 of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, 2005

Social audit legal framework: (a) MGNREGA Section 17: Mandates social audit of all projects by Gram Sabha — legal basis for participatory monitoring, (b) Process: (i) Public disclosure of scheme records (muster rolls, expenditure, beneficiary lists), (ii) Gram Sabha meeting: Community verifies records, raises queries, (iii) Action on findings: Recovery of misused funds, disciplinary action, systemic improvements, (c) Complementary provisions: (i) RTI Act enables access to records for audit, (ii) Article 32/226 enables judicial enforcement if social audit findings ignored, (d) Expansion: Social audit principles extended to NFSA, PMAY, health schemes through policy directives, (e) Impact: Empowers citizens to monitor implementation, detect corruption, ensure accountability; challenges include capacity building, political interference, follow-up on findings. Illustrates participatory governance: legal mandate enabling citizen oversight of public programs.

Topic Governance Reforms - Social Audit Legal Basis
Exam Relevance Social audit legal basis frequently asked in UPSC and SSC exams