Mandatory e-KYC Triggers Massive MGNREGS Job Card Deletions
Why focus: GS2 Schemes. Clusters with VB-GRM. Sets up ABPS and e-KYC mandates for 'How-Many-Correct' exclusion traps.
In News
What Happened
Why It Matters
Background
History & Context
What Changed
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BEFORE: Workers could receive MGNREGS wages through a mixed system of ABPS and traditional account-based transfers, with extensions frequently granted for incomplete Aadhaar linking. NOW: Wage payments are strictly routed through the ABPS, requiring mandatory e-KYC completion without exceptions.
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BEFORE: Job cards remained active as long as the worker demanded work, with local panchayats handling manual verification in some regions. NOW: Approximately 27 lakh job cards were systematically deleted due to e-KYC non-compliance, removing these workers from the active roster.
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BEFORE: The focus of DBT was primarily on expanding financial inclusion and linking basic bank accounts. NOW: The administrative focus has shifted to rigorous deduplication through biometric and e-KYC mandates, prioritizing leakage reduction over universal accessibility.
Prelims Angle
NCERT Connection
Practice Questions
Q1
Correct Statement(s)Which of the following statements regarding the Aadhaar-Based Payment System (ABPS) in MGNREGS is/are correct? 1. ABPS requires a worker's Aadhaar number to be linked with both their MGNREGS job card and their bank account. 2. The primary objective of mandatory e-KYC in MGNREGS is to increase the guaranteed wage employment from 100 to 150 days for all rural households.