Ethics - Case Study 9 - Taking Corrective Measures

Posted by on

 

Case Study

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program, MGNREGA was earlier known as National Rural Employment Scheme, NREGA. It is an Indian Social Welfare Program that aimed at fulfilling the ‘Right to Work’ provisions made in the Constitution. MGNREGA was launched in 2006 under Rural Employment Sector by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Main objective of the program is to give legal guarantee of wage employment to the adult members of rural households who are willing to do unskilled manual labour work subject to a maximum of 100 days per year for every household. Every rural household has the right to register under the scheme, job card is issued to the registered, Job Card holder can seek employment; State Government shall pay 25% of minimum wage for the first 30 days as compensatory daily unemployment allowance to the families and of wage for remaining period of the year. MGNREGA work was undertaken by various Gram Panchayats.

You have been appointed as an Administrator Incharge of the District. You have been given the responsibility of monitoring MGNREGA work undertaken by various Gram Panchayats. You are also given the authority to give technical sanctions to all MGNREGA works.

In one of the Panchayats in your jurisdiction, you notice that your predecessor has mismanaged the Program in terms of:


(i) Money not disbursed to actual job-seekers.

(ii) Muster Rolls of the Labourers not properly maintained.

(iii) Mismatch between the work done and payments made.

(iv) Payments made to fictitious persons.

(v) Job Cards were given without looking into the need of person.

(vi) Mismanagement of funds and to the extent of siphoning of funds.

(vii) Approved works that never existed.


(a) What is your reaction to the above situation and how do you restore the proper functioning of MGNREGA Program in this regard?

(b) What actions would you initiate, to solve the various issues listed above?

(c) How would you deal with the above situation?


Model Answer

As District Administrator in charge of MGNREGA, I find serious irregularities such as fake job cards, ghost payments, and misuse of funds. Such acts not only deny livelihood to genuine beneficiaries but also erode public trust in governance. My immediate reaction would be of concern and responsibility to restore the integrity of the scheme, as it safeguards the constitutional “Right to Work” for rural poor.

(a) Restoring Proper Functioning:
I would ensure strict social audit of all Gram Panchayats, review muster rolls, and cross-verify with actual workers. Technology such as Aadhaar-based attendance, DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), and geo-tagging of works would be adopted to plug leakages. Transparency and accountability would be restored through public display of beneficiary lists and Gram Sabha monitoring.

(b) Actions to Solve Issues:

  • Identify and cancel fake job cards, re-issue genuine ones.

  • Recover siphoned funds from responsible officials and contractors.

  • Lodge disciplinary and legal action against those indulging in corruption.

  • Establish grievance redressal mechanisms for workers.

  • Capacity building of Panchayat functionaries on proper record maintenance.

(c) Dealing with the Situation:
I would take a balanced approach—ensuring punitive action against wrongdoers, while at the same time, restoring confidence of beneficiaries. Regular inspections, use of ICT tools, and community participation will prevent future misuse.

Conclusion:
By adopting integrity, transparency, accountability, and compassion, I would ensure that MGNREGA fulfills its core aim—providing livelihood security to the poorest households while strengthening trust in rural governance.


Additional Info:

The MGNREGA case study is mainly based on the following ethics topics from UPSC GS Paper 4 syllabus:

  1. Integrity & Accountability in Public Service – Ensuring that welfare funds are used honestly and transparently.

  2. Work Culture, Probity, and Ethical Governance – Addressing mismanagement, siphoning of funds, and lack of proper record-keeping.

  3. Attitude and Emotional Intelligence – Responding with concern, fairness, and responsibility towards genuine beneficiaries.

  4. Values in Public Administration – Impartiality, justice, compassion, and commitment to constitutional values like the Right to Work and social justice.

  5. Corruption & Challenges of Governance – Fake muster rolls, ghost payments, and misuse of authority directly test ethical decision-making in curbing corruption.

  6. Citizen-Centric Administration – Protecting the rights of vulnerable rural households and restoring their faith in governance.

Comments

Post a Comment