The broken promise of the right to work
The Supreme Court of India is examining the constitutional status of the 'Right to Work' following the government's replacement of the MGNREGA scheme with the new VB-GRAM G Act. Critics argue the transition has led to a significant decline in rural employment opportunities.
Why it matters
The debate highlights the tension between government policy shifts and the fundamental rights of rural citizens to employment and economic security.
On August 21, a three-judge Supreme Court Bench led by the Chief Justice of India dismissed a petition and sought a fresh one in a case on minimum wages in rural employment guarantee programmes. The Bench lauded MGNREGA’s role in rural development. It probed whether the ‘Right to Work’ should be treated on par with Article 21, the fundamental right to life, sparking an important discussion on the constitutional foundations of this right.
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