Is MGNREGA a failure ?

                 MGNREGA is a wonderful economic device to generate employment among the rural population. Stop the programme for a while and its significance would be understood. A large part of the rural population would, once again, fall back into the crude days, when they had nothing to do, especially, during the off season. Moreover, the rural rejuvenation programme would come to a halt. The projects would be left uncared.
 
                 In a country like India, programme like MGNREGA finds the best place for its implementation. India is quite relevant for its functioning.

                 The fault lies, not in MGNREGA, but, in the political chastity and the political will in many states across the country.. In many states, the personal benefits dominate the will to serve the people. Finally, people start blaming the programme. What's more unfortunate is that leaders in the opposition try to play cheap politics by besmearing the beautiful social welfare programme. In recent times, MGNREGA has not been an exception, in becoming a bait in the hands of the politicians, to heap unfair criticisms on the government in power.

                  The world has place only for sense but not nonsense. As such petty quarrels do not find any place here. To do something noble is difficult but to throw slush on a noble work like MGNREGA is easy.

The fault lies in the lack of political will and lack of effective mechanism to get the programme implemented with finesse. The capability, will and smart work is what is needed to lead the programme, but not to find fault with MNREGA which has proved a great success in some of the Indian states.

                  The lack of proper leadership and the lack of direction, has resulted in local or ground-level corruption. In many states, the local rural political supporters and government officials, have been devouring a part of the wages to be paid to the workers. In some cases, the workers are left even unpaid. The lack of awareness on the part of the rural masses, has made it difficult to them, to fight against such social evil. They are even threatened against lodging a complaint with the legal authorities.

                  In some states of India, corruption has eaten away the programme like termites.For instance, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, the programme has gone ineffective. But, the state of Andhra Pradesh has become a role-model to states, where MGNREGA has been a victim in the hands of corrupt authorities.

The government of Andhra Pradesh has separated the channel of payments. The weekly wages are paid through post office. However, in such states too, there have been reports that the money is withdrawn and paid by the local supervisor or an agent. However, the fact that the workers receive their full wages despite being paid through an agent, is appreciable.

                However. the embezzlement can be weeded out through effective payment modes. In this regard, the wages for MGNREGA can be paid through the account opened under the  Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
.
                   It is time all the leaders ( including the opposition) and the governments of those states, where the programme does not function smoothly, joined hands to make the programme a success. The differences among the politicians and the greed for winning the next elections, should not snatch the livelihood of the needy.

                

MGNREGA : a mission

             Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA)  is a social welfare programme, basically meant for the upliftment of the rural masses. The programme aims at generating 100 days employment to every villager, irrespect of their caste, creed, age or any other discrimination.

            The programme has suited to the Indian context. In a country like India which is an agriculture-based economy and a large part of the country falling into rural sector, it becomes inevitable for the government to protect the large part of the rural population. For a long time, the rural population of India has lived at the mercy of the fate. Much exploitation has been done to the rural mass by the banias, munshis and some Zamindars in disguise, who have been directly or indirectly, ruling the villages even after the country's independence. The country has taken the shape of democracy, yet, in many parts of the country, people live in fear, owing to the existence of hypocrisy of such elements, whose deeds and the way of leading life, is unconstitutional and illegal.

             A huge part of the country being rural, is a good characteristic, in the sense that it has not been protruded by the urban jungle, which wipes out nature. A programme like MGNREGA, if dealt meticulously, can become a wonderful emasculation to the rural sector. As the programme aims at generating employment to the rural masses, it becomes crucial for the government to get the maximum work done through manual labour. Moreover, the developmental projects get completed with commitment and with minor lapses when compared with the work done through contractors. As  the work undertaken by MGNREGA is for the sake of the people taking part in the activity, they do it with interest and commitment. The interesting feature of the projects undertaken through this mission are rejuvenating the ponds and rivers by removing the silt from them, road building activity etc. These projects can be managed even with technically unskilled labourers. Even if any, the novice, in course of time, gets trained to do it. However, the deviations get checked by the few engineers and technicians, whose work is only to supervise the activity.

               We live in an age that is replete with sophisticated technology, our world gives little scope for manual labour. Technology has been relentlessly uprooting the human employment during the past decades. At a time when India has been undergoing with modernizing activity, MGNREGA has proved to be  a wonderful source of emasculating the rural India from the advent of unwanted interference of scientific technology.

                At such juncture, striking an equilibrium between human employment and technological employment, is the need of the hour. The urban advancement should make the best use of scientific technology while the rural India should make the best use of  manual labour to prevent technology from snatching the bread and butter of the mouth of the large population.

                 MGNREGA can anchor a large part of the rural population within the countryside by generating employment during the 100 crucial days. These days include the season when the farmers remain without any agricultural activities. Thus, a large part of the rural population can be prevented from migrating to the towns and cities for finding a source of their livelihood. Subsequently, the burden on the cities can be controlled.
           

How can beggars imperil the safety of a country ?

            The existence of beggars can pose danger to the society. They can become a wonderful 

tool in the hands of crime in different forms.                                                        
                      

                                  Helping the beggars by pouring a few coins into their bowl, can only give a 

negligible financial support and a fickle satisfaction. Further, the menace would steadily keep growing 

The menace at public places and
                                                                         
 places of worship. It is a 

nuisance, usually, taken for granted but it remains a symbol of shame to the nation that goes unheeded to the 

plight of beggars. If ignored further it would not only strengthen the will of the beggars but also pull more 

hapless people into this stream, adding strength to the menace. 

                       A small attention of the government and the will to allocate an extremely small percentage of 

the national income, can relieve the nation of this evil. It is high time the government embarked on the task of 

rehabilitating the beggars. Firstly, a massive construction of shelter with the basic facilities should be taken 

up. Here, the beggars should be provided with food, clothing and shelter. An adjoining vocational training 

centre and industry should be established. This is how the beggars can be converted into a wonderful skilled 

 workforce in no time. The adjoining industry can subsequently, generate employment to them. 

                        Generating employment or making the beggars self-reliant will be a two-pronged approach. 

This will not only put an end to their begging and provide livelihood but also prevent them from taking part in 

any form of crime.

                        Child beggars should be taken care of educated until they grow into responsible 

citizens. Vocational training to them too, at the right time, will enable them to get employed or in setting up 

their own enterprise in future. In the case of the beggars comprising the crippled and the old, neither returns 

can be expected in the form of employment nor can they be made self-reliant. Hence, they should taken care 
of separately, throughout their life.

                        Quality care should be given by the authorities concerned, and the same should be 

checked by the vigilance officers, through sudden visits or raids at the rehabilitation centres.  Political 

interference for embezzlement of funds released for the beggars, should strictly be checked. Pilferage of the 

provisions, by the middlemen, should be checked too. However, a lot of wastage of things can be prevented 

through a planned and committed supervision. Computerization of the accounts and disbursement process, 

can bring down certain evil practices.

                         Thus, such an active involvement of the government, will not only put an end to the manace 

of begging but also involve  yesterday's beggars to join hands in running the wheels of nation's progress.

                                     

                                               

                                      Begging cannot be taken for granted . As such                                          they cannot be left to their fate.

 

       

                     

Can Karate reduce the menace of eve-teasing ?

                 The parents of the girls should breathe                                   



 a sigh of relief especially in the barbarity prone zone.




                                                                                  Instead of waiting for the

evil to raise its hood, it would be better if girls are equipped



                                                                                                    


                                                                                                     with the art of defence like martial arts. 

If Karate class were conducted for girls at school level, it could become a self-defence

                    It is time a period for Karate got conducted for girls at school level. This should be made

mandatory for government as well as private schools without exception. However, the choice should left to

the girls.                                                                                                         

This training should aim at making the girls self-dependent throughout their life. It would turn into a boon when real necessity comes.
               
               The most interesting thing about this programme is that it not only becomes self-defence for the


girls at the time of eve-teasing but also boosts                                        
       

         their self-confidence levels and courage. It



 should be noted that many a time, courage becomes a vital                  e


 factor for defeating any social evil.


 becomes a vital factor in fighting eve-teasing. This would reduce the number of the cases of eve-teasing in countries where it is prevalent.