What to Read in Indian Express Editorial( Topic and Syllabus wise)

 

Editorial 1 : MGNREGA: The Ground Beneath Rural India Is Slipping Away

Context:

Gradual dilution of MGNREGA’s demand-driven employment guarantee.

Introduction:

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was conceived as a transformative rural employment programme, designed not merely as a welfare measure but as a structural intervention in labour markets and poverty alleviation. It is cautions that ongoing administrative and policy changes are weakening its core design principles, risking the erosion of one of India’s most effective socio-economic safety nets.

Why MGNREGA was a Transformative Policy?

1. Evidence-Based Success

• MGNREGA is among the most rigorously studied public policiesin India.
• The article cites the influential study by Muralidharan, Niehaus and Sukhtankar, which found:
  • Rural household incomes increased by about 14%
  • Poverty declined by nearly 26%
• The scheme generated positive general equilibrium effects, including higher local demand and additional non-farm employment.

2. Labour Market Rebalancing

• The scheme enhanced the bargaining power of rural labour, leading to higher wages.
• The article strongly contests the argument that wage increases are harmful.
• It emphasises that raising wages for the poorest workers was a deliberate design objective, not a policy failure.
• No evidence suggests that higher wages reduced employment opportunities.

3. Role During Economic Shocks

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, MGNREGA served as a critical economic stabiliser.
• It absorbed migrant workers and sustained rural demand.
• Even a government initially sceptical of the scheme was compelled to rely on it.

Key Principles:

Demand-Driven and Self-Targeting

• MGNREGA avoids targeting errors by allowing anyone willing to workto demand employment.
• This design reflects an important governance lesson: targeted welfare schemes in India are prone to exclusion and manipulation.

Gender-Sensitive Outcomes

• In 2023, women accounted for over 57%of total employment days.
• In states like Tamil Nadu, women’s participation reached nearly 80%.
• The article notes that few policies have altered gendered labour participation at such scale.

Decentralisation

• MGNREGA strengthened Gram Panchayatsby giving them a central role in planning and execution.
• This decentralised character is viewed as a core strength of the scheme.

Concerns Raised in the Article

• Administrative Dilution
  • Delays, funding constraints, and procedural restrictions are weakening the scheme without formally dismantling it.
• Shift Away from Demand-Driven Model
  • Proposals to allocate work based on centrally determined criteria risk converting MGNREGA into a supply-driven and budget-capped programme.
• Proposed Legislative Changes
  • The new VB-GRAMG Bill, despite promising 125 days of employment, may:
    • Neutralise gains through seasonal pauses
    • Shift financial burden onto states
    • Reduce Panchayat autonomy by enforcing centrally fixed priorities
  • Erosion of Decentralisation
    • Mandatory alignment of Panchayat plans with central priorities could hollow out grassroots governance.

Political Economy Dimension:

• The UPA government designed the scheme effectively but failed to politically defend it.
• Post-2014 discourse framed MGNREGA as a symbol of low aspiration, rather than a foundation for economic security.
• Media narratives and elite discomfort with rising wages reinforced this perception.

Conclusion:

It concludes that MGNREGA may ultimately be remembered not just as a successful employment programme, but as the economic and political foundation that supported India through a period of deep structural change. Weakening it risks removing the “ground beneath our feet” for millions of rural households.

 

Editorial 2 : Teacher’s Authority and the Changing Nature of Education

Context:

Rethinking teacher authority for inclusive, inquiry-based education reforms.

Introduction:

“The teacher’s red pen should open minds, not shut doors” highlights a critical issue in contemporary education the transformation of the teacher’s role from an authority figure to a facilitator of learning. The metaphor of the “red pen” symbolises evaluative power, discipline, and control, which, if used rigidly, can suppress curiosity and critical thinking. This concern is particularly relevant as India undertakes systemic educational reforms.

Knowledge, Power, and Hierarchies:

• Historically, education has been treated as a source of power, as noted by thinkers such as Francis Baconand later analysed by Michel Foucault. Unequal access to knowledge has reinforced social hierarchies and limited mobility for marginalised groups. In the Indian context, this is reflected in disparities based on caste, gender, language, and region.
• Rigid assessment practices—focused only on right and wrong—often reproduce these hierarchies instead of challenging them. When teachers act solely as evaluators, education risks becoming a tool of exclusion rather than empowerment.

Shift from Instructor to Facilitator:

• The article underlines an alternative pedagogical tradition where teachers act as facilitators who encourage inquiry, dialogue, and independent thinking. This approach aligns closely with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises:
  • Critical thinking and conceptual understanding
  • Reduction of rote learning
  • Formative and competency-based assessment
  • Learner-centric education
• NEP 2020 explicitly calls for assessment to be used as a tool for learning improvement rather than judgement, reinforcing the article’s core argument.

Ethical Dimension of Teaching:

• From an ethics perspective, teaching involves responsibility, empathy, and fairness. Excessive dependence on authority discourages moral courage and intellectual autonomy among students. A respectful teacher–student relationship enhances dignity, confidence, and democratic values.
• Institutions such as UNESCOhave consistently advocated education that promotes freedom of thought, scientific temper, and social responsibility—values essential for a plural and democratic society like India.

Relevance in Contemporary Times:

• In an age marked by information overload, misinformation, and conformity, the teacher’s role becomes more critical. As the article notes, when learners are conditioned to “not question or disrupt,” education loses its transformative power. Teachers must instead nurture:
  • Curiosity
  • Questioning attitude
  • Social awareness
  • Confidence to challenge unjust norms
• This is essential for preparing citizens capable of upholding constitutional values such as liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Conclusion:

It presents a timely reminder that education should liberate, not discipline blindly. The teacher’s authority, symbolised by the red pen, must evolve into a guiding force rather than a gatekeeping mechanism. As envisioned in NEP 2020 and global educational frameworks, a humane, inclusive, and dialogic education system is vital for India’s social and democratic progress.