GK Question

Answer: True

Article 41 right to work and MGNREGA: (a) Article 41 text: State shall, within limits of economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing right to work, education, public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness, disablement, undeserved want, (b) MGNREGA operationalization: (i) Legal entitlement: Guarantees 100 days wage employment per rural household; not discretionary benefit but enforceable right, (ii) Social audit: Community monitoring ensures accountability, reduces corruption, enhances effectiveness, (iii) Decentralized planning: Gram Sabhas prepare shelf of works, prioritize local needs; enables participatory governance, (c) Applications: (i) Women's participation: One-third reservation for women; actual participation often exceeds 50%, empowering rural women economically, socially, (ii) Asset creation: Works focus on water conservation, irrigation, rural infrastructure; enhance productivity, climate resilience, (iii) Migration reduction: Local employment opportunities reduce distress migration, strengthen rural economies, (d) Challenges: (i) Delayed wages: Payment delays undermine right to work; require administrative reforms, digital systems, timely fund flow, (ii) Quality of works: Ensuring durable, useful assets requires technical capacity, community participation, maintenance planning, (iii) Convergence: Coordination with other schemes (PMAY, NFSA) enables holistic rural development, but requires institutional coordination, (e) Illustrates transformative social rights: Article 41 operationalized through MGNREGA; balance between legal entitlement, fiscal capacity, administrative efficiency essential for realizing constitutional vision of right to work, dignity, rural development.