Context:
Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS) becomes mandatory for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers.
MGNREGA Scheme:
- One of the largest work guarantee programmes launched in 2005.
- Implementation Agency – Ministry of Rural development
- Provides a legal guarantee of a 100 days of wage employment in a year to adult members of a rural household willing for unskilled manual work.
- Major Features –
- Ensures any rural adult can request work and must receive it within 15 days. If not, an “unemployment allowance” must be provided.
- Priority shall be given to women (at least 1/3rd of the beneficiaries shall be women)
- Mandated Social audit of all works under Section 17
- Other changes in recent times to make MGNREGS efficient –
- National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app to capture the attendance of MGNREGS workers
- SECURE application for estimating preparation and approval for MGNREGS works.
- Geo-MGNREGA for geo-tagging of all completed works under MGNREGS.
- Project “UNNATI” to upgrade the skill base of the MGNREGS workers and other changes to make MGNREGS efficient.
More than 1100 government schemes and programs run by Union and States have been notified to use Aadhaar.
How does ABPS work?
- ABPS uses the worker’s unique 12-digit Aadhaar number as their financial address.
- To be paid under ABPS –
- A worker’s Aadhaar details must be seeded to her job card;
- Aadhaar details must be seeded to her bank account;
- Aadhaar must be mapped with the National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI) database.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
Among the following who are eligible to benefit from the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act”?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2011 Prelims]
(a) Adult members of only the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households
(b) Adult members of below poverty line (BPL) households
(c) Adult members of households of all backward communities
(d) Adult members of any household
Answer: (d)
