Empowering Women: The Viksit Bharat Act's New Rural Promise

The Viksit Bharat Act prioritizes gender inclusivity, ensuring minimum one-third female representation among beneficiaries and boosting women-headed households' livelihoods in rural areas through job cards, infrastructure, and social audits. The Act supersedes MGNREGS, extending guaranteed employment days and focusing on asset creation and transparency.

The Indian government has introduced the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act as a pioneering gender-inclusive law to bolster women's participation in rural employment. The Act mandates at least one-third of beneficiaries must be women, with targeted provisions for women-headed households.

Central to its objectives, the Act aims to improve livelihoods and infrastructure, establishing facilities like self-help group buildings, nurseries, compost units, and training centers. By extending statutory employment to 125 days from 100, it surpasses the MGNREGS, aiming for enhanced asset creation and transparency with swift grievance redressal.

However, opposition parties have voiced concerns about its potential to weaken existing legal work rights and reduce budgetary support. This legislation places a significant emphasis on women's roles in supervisory positions and decision-making, including representation in employment guarantee councils.

(With inputs from agencies.)