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September 16th Current Affairs

Home / UPSC / Current affairs / UPSC Current Affairs – September 16th

Table of Contents

UPI Payments and Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) Fee on UPI Payments — What changes from October 15, 2026?

What is the new change?

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced an MDR of 0.4% on eligible Person-to-Merchant (P2M) UPI transactions above ₹2,000, effective 15 October 2026.

  • UPI payment up to ₹2,000 to merchants: No MDR.
  • P2M payment above ₹2,000: MDR of 0.4%.
  • Transactions of ₹75,000 and above: MDR capped at ₹300.
  • Person-to-Person (P2P) transactions: Continue to remain free.
  • The MDR is a merchant-side charge, not a direct fee on consumers.

Example

If a customer pays a merchant ₹5,000 through UPI:

MDR = 0.4% × ₹5,000 = ₹20

The ₹20 is charged within the merchant-side payment ecosystem; the customer is not supposed to pay an additional ₹20.

What is MDR?

Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is a fee associated with accepting a digital payment.

It is generally distributed among different participants in the payment ecosystem, such as:

Customer → UPI App/PSP → Banks → Payment ecosystem → Merchant

The charge helps compensate the entities involved in processing and maintaining digital payment infrastructure.

Important: MDR is not a tax paid to the government. The proceeds are distributed among participants in the payment ecosystem.

Why was MDR introduced on UPI?

For several years, UPI merchant transactions operated without MDR. This helped UPI expand rapidly, particularly among small businesses and ordinary consumers.

However, maintaining a large-scale digital payment system involves costs related to:

  • Payment infrastructure
  • Server and network capacity
  • Cybersecurity
  • Fraud prevention
  • Technology upgrades
  • Customer support
  • Innovation and resilience of the payment ecosystem

NPCI has stated that introducing MDR will help support long-term sustainability, infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity and innovation in the UPI ecosystem.

Important exemptions

The new framework does not apply uniformly to every UPI transaction.

P2P transactions

Money transferred between individuals—such as sending money to family or friends—continues to be free.

Small-value P2M transactions

UPI merchant payments up to ₹2,000 remain free.

Small merchants

The framework provides exemptions for certain small merchants receiving up to ₹1 lakh per month through UPI QR payments.

This is significant because small merchants are an important part of India’s financial inclusion and digitalisation process.

Why is this important for India?

Sustainability of Digital Public Infrastructure

UPI has become a critical component of India’s digital payment infrastructure. A sustainable revenue mechanism can help maintain and upgrade this infrastructure.

Financial Inclusion

UPI has enabled even small retailers, street vendors and informal businesses to accept digital payments using QR codes.

The exemption for smaller merchants seeks to prevent additional payment-processing costs from disproportionately affecting them.

Digitalisation of the Economy

UPI reduces dependence on cash and facilitates:

  • Faster payments
  • Formalisation of transactions
  • Greater traceability
  • Digital financial inclusion
  • Expansion of fintech services

Cybersecurity

As digital payment volumes increase, investment in cybersecurity and fraud prevention becomes increasingly important.

Payment Ecosystem Sustainability

The introduction of MDR attempts to create a mechanism through which different participants in the payment ecosystem can receive compensation for providing payment infrastructure and services.

Possible concerns

The policy also raises some issues that are relevant for UPSC analysis:

  1. Impact on merchants:
    Eligible merchants will have an additional cost for certain transactions.
  2. Consumer impact:
    Although the MDR is not supposed to be passed on to consumers, there may be concerns about whether some businesses could attempt to recover the cost indirectly.
  3. Small-business protection:
    Exemptions are important to ensure that digital payments do not become relatively expensive for small merchants.
  4. Sustainability vs affordability:
    The policy reflects a broader policy challenge: how to maintain a large digital payment infrastructure while keeping digital payments accessible and affordable.

Six Yamuna-basin States Sign Agreement to Revive the Long-Pending Kishau Multipurpose Project

The Kishau Multipurpose Project (KMP) has returned to the spotlight after six Yamuna-basin states signed an agreement on 15 September 2026 to move forward with the long-pending project. The states are Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.

What is the Kishau Multipurpose Project?

The Kishau Project is a storage dam and multipurpose water-resource project proposed on the Tons River, a major tributary of the Yamuna.

Important geographical location

  • River: Tons
  • Tributary of: Yamuna
  • Location: Along the Himachal Pradesh–Uttarakhand border
  • River basin: Yamuna / Upper Yamuna Basin
  • Beneficiary regions: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.

The Tons itself forms part of the drainage system of the Yamuna. Therefore, although the dam is not directly on the Yamuna, it is important for managing water availability in the Upper Yamuna Basin.

Why is it called a Multipurpose Project?

The project is designed to serve several purposes simultaneously:

① Water storage

The dam will store monsoon water and allow it to be regulated for use during periods of lower availability.

② Irrigation

The project is expected to create irrigation potential of approximately 97,000 hectares.

③ Hydropower generation

The project has been associated with a 660 MW installed hydropower capacity in official project documents.

④ Drinking water

Stored water will contribute to drinking-water availability, including for the National Capital region.

⑤ Yamuna water-flow management

Regulated releases from the Upper Yamuna system are expected to help improve water availability and the flow of relatively cleaner water downstream.

Key Features

Feature

Details

Project

Kishau Multipurpose Project

River

Tons

Tons is a tributary of

Yamuna

Location

Himachal Pradesh–Uttarakhand region

Dam type

Concrete gravity dam

Approx. height

232.6 m under the latest agreement

Storage capacity

1,562 million cubic metres under the latest agreement

Irrigation potential

About 97,000 hectares

Hydropower

About 660 MW in official project documents

Stakeholders

HP, Uttarakhand, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan & Delhi

Status

Long-pending; agreement signed in September 2026

The latest PIB release gives the revised project-agreement figures of 232.6 m dam height and 1,562 MCM storage, while earlier official project documents list 236 m, 1,324 MCM live storage and 660 MW. For current-affairs preparation, use the latest agreement figures when discussing the present status.

Why was the project delayed?

The Kishau Project has been delayed for several years mainly because of disagreements among the participating states concerning:

  • Water sharing
  • Cost sharing
  • Allocation of benefits
  • Sharing of the power component
  • Concerns of upstream and downstream states

The 1994 agreement concerning the Upper Yamuna Basin provided the broader framework for sharing Yamuna waters and envisaged separate agreements for individual storage projects.

The 2026 agreement attempts to resolve these issues through a negotiated arrangement among the six stakeholders.

What was decided in 2026?

A major breakthrough came in June 2026, when the six stakeholders reached a consensus to implement the project.

The arrangement included:

  • 90% of the cost of the water component to be provided by the Union Government as central assistance.
  • The remaining 10% to be shared by the participating states.
  • An arrangement under which Himachal Pradesh’s allocated water would be made available to Delhi and Rajasthan, while Delhi and Rajasthan would share the cost of Himachal Pradesh’s portion of the power component.

On 15 September 2026, the six states formally signed the Kishau Multipurpose Project agreement.

Why is the project important for Delhi?

Delhi depends heavily on water supplied through the Yamuna system.

The project can contribute to:

  • Greater regulation of Upper Yamuna flows
  • Improved drinking-water availability
  • Better utilisation of monsoon flows
  • Increased downstream water availability
  • Potential improvement in the quantity and quality of water reaching the Yamuna system

Therefore, Kishau is connected not merely with hydropower, but also with urban water security.

Significance for Inter-State Water Cooperation

This is one of the most important UPSC dimensions.

The project demonstrates the importance of cooperative federalism in river-water management.

A river basin does not follow political boundaries. Therefore, effective water management requires cooperation between:

Upstream states → storage → regulated release → downstream states

The Kishau agreement attempts to reconcile different interests:

Himachal Pradesh → water and power interests
Uttarakhand → project location and water resources
Haryana/UP → irrigation and water requirements
Rajasthan → water requirements in water-stressed areas
Delhi → drinking-water security

Thus, the project provides an example of negotiated inter-state water-resource management.

Issues and concerns

The project also needs to be studied critically.

Environmental concerns

Large dams can lead to:

  • Submergence of land
  • Forest loss
  • Biodiversity impacts
  • Displacement and rehabilitation issues
  • Changes in downstream river ecology

Inter-state coordination

Even after an agreement, implementation requires sustained cooperation over:

  • Water releases
  • Power benefits
  • Cost sharing
  • Rehabilitation
  • Environmental management

River ecology

Storage projects can alter the natural flow regime. Maintaining an adequate environmental flow (e-flow) is therefore important.

Youth Discontent and the Changing Face of Protest — Student unrest signals deeper concerns over governance, authority and institutions

What is the issue?

India has witnessed several student and youth agitations over issues such as:

  • Examination and recruitment irregularities
  • Employment opportunities
  • Perceived institutional failures
  • Quality of governance
  • Corruption and lack of transparency
  • Delays and uncertainty in public recruitment

The editorial highlights recent protests in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar, along with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-associated mobilisation in Delhi, as examples of a changing protest landscape.

The important point for UPSC is that youth discontent is not necessarily confined to one political ideology or one organisation. It can emerge around specific grievances and subsequently develop into wider dissatisfaction with institutions.

Why are young people increasingly dissatisfied?

Employment and recruitment concerns

For many young Indians, education is closely linked with expectations of employment and upward mobility.

When recruitment examinations are delayed, cancelled, affected by irregularities or perceived as unfair, the consequences can extend beyond one examination.

It can create a perception that:

Education → competitive examination → employment pathway

is unreliable.

Institutional credibility

Young people increasingly expect institutions to provide:

  • Transparency
  • Accountability
  • Predictability
  • Equal opportunity
  • Quick grievance redressal

When institutions fail to meet these expectations, dissatisfaction can become a broader question about institutional credibility.

Centralisation and perceived lack of accountability

The editorial argues that some sections of youth perceive increasing centralisation of power and authority and weakening institutional safeguards.

This perception is important from a democratic-governance perspective because democratic legitimacy depends not only on elections but also on:

  • Checks and balances
  • Accountability
  • Rule of law
  • Responsive institutions
  • Freedom of peaceful expression

The editorial “Reclaiming universities through trust, student voice” examines the growing tension between students and university administrations. It argues that the recent protests involving students should not be viewed merely as disciplinary problems; rather, they point towards deeper concerns about university governance, student participation, institutional autonomy and academic freedom.

The changing nature of protests

Earlier mass movements were often associated with:

  • Political parties
  • Trade unions
  • Student organisations
  • Ideological movements
  • Formal leadership structures

Contemporary youth protests can be more decentralised and digitally coordinated.

Features of the new protest culture

Social media mobilisation → rapid dissemination → decentralised participation → spontaneous mobilisation

Digital platforms allow young people to:

  • Share information quickly
  • Organise demonstrations
  • Create common symbols and narratives
  • Mobilise beyond geographical boundaries
  • Put institutional issues into public debate

This makes contemporary protest movements potentially faster but less formally organised.

Why is this important for democracy?

Peaceful protest is an important component of a democratic society.

It provides citizens with a mechanism to:

  • Express grievances
  • Demand accountability
  • Influence public policy
  • Draw attention to administrative failures
  • Participate in public affairs

However, prolonged institutional distrust can become problematic if citizens begin to believe that normal institutional mechanisms cannot address their grievances.

Therefore, the issue is not simply protest vs government.

The deeper question is:

Can democratic institutions respond effectively enough to prevent legitimate grievances from developing into prolonged distrust of the system itself?

State response to protests

The article raises concerns about the use of indiscriminate force against student protesters. It argues that excessive use of force can become counterproductive and potentially generate greater resentment.

From a governance perspective, the preferred approach is:

Grievance identification → dialogue → institutional investigation → accountability → corrective action

rather than treating every protest primarily as a law-and-order problem.

Constitutional perspective

The issue can be connected with:

  • Article 19(1)(a) – Freedom of speech and expression
  • Article 19(1)(b) – Right to assemble peacefully and without arms
  • Reasonable restrictions under Article 19
  • Rule of law
  • Democratic accountability

Important: The right to peaceful assembly is not absolute. Restrictions may be imposed under constitutionally permitted grounds, but they must satisfy the applicable legal and constitutional requirements

Historical perspective — Naxalism

The editorial draws a historical comparison with Naxalism and warns against ignoring small but persistent signs of discontent.

UPSC understanding

The comparison should not be interpreted as saying that today’s student protests are equivalent to Naxalism.

Rather, the broader lesson is about how unresolved grievances can potentially accumulate and become larger movements.

Naxalism originated in the Naxalbari uprising of 1967 in West Bengal and subsequently developed into a wider Left-Wing Extremist movement.

This provides an important Internal Security lesson:

Governance deficits, socio-economic grievances and institutional alienation can create conditions that extremist movements may attempt to exploit.

But democratic protest and violent extremism must be clearly distinguished.

Youth discontent — broader causes

Economic

  • Unemployment and underemployment
  • Skill–job mismatch
  • Competition for limited formal-sector opportunities
  • Economic insecurity

Educational

  • Examination irregularities
  • High competition
  • Delays in recruitment
  • Quality and accessibility of higher education

Governance

  • Administrative delays
  • Lack of transparency
  • Weak grievance redressal
  • Perceived corruption

Social

  • Rising expectations
  • Inequality of opportunities
  • Rural–urban differences
  • Aspirational pressures

Political

  • Demand for greater participation
  • Perceived institutional distance
  • Declining trust in some institutions

Technological

  • Social media mobilisation
  • Rapid spread of information
  • Greater political awareness
  • Possibility of misinformation and polarisation

Why does it matter for India's demographic dividend?

India has a large young population. This creates the possibility of a demographic dividend when young people are:

  • Educated
  • Skilled
  • Productively employed
  • Healthy
  • Economically and socially integrated

But a large young population without adequate opportunities can instead create:

High expectations + limited opportunities → frustration → social and political dissatisfaction

Therefore, demographic dividend is not automatic.

It depends on converting India’s young population into a productive workforce.

Way Forward

  1. Strengthen examination governance
  • Transparent recruitment calendars
  • Secure examination systems
  • Independent audits
  • Time-bound grievance redressal
  1. Improve employment opportunities
  • Promote labour-intensive manufacturing
  • Strengthen MSMEs
  • Expand apprenticeships
  • Improve industry-linked skilling
  1. Institutionalise youth participation

Youth should have meaningful avenues to participate in:

  • Policy consultations
  • Campus governance
  • Local governance
  • Civic programmes
  1. Strengthen democratic institutions
  • Parliamentary and institutional accountability
  • Independent oversight mechanisms
  • Transparent decision-making
  • Effective grievance redressal
  1. Follow proportionate policing

Peaceful protests should be handled through dialogue and lawful crowd management, while violence and genuine threats to public order should be dealt with according to law.

  1. Address grievances rather than merely suppressing protests

The long-term solution is not simply controlling demonstrations but addressing the underlying causes that generate them.

AI Cooperation: Preventing Artificial Intelligence from Becoming a New Arena of Geopolitical Rivalry

Why is AI cooperation in the news?

AI is increasingly becoming a strategic technology, comparable in importance to semiconductors, telecommunications and critical infrastructure.

The recent BRICS Summit in New Delhi brought AI cooperation into focus. Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a BRICS AI open-source community, while India has emphasised the need to prevent the weaponisation of technology and to promote cooperation.

This comes against the background of growing technological competition between the U.S. and China.

Therefore, AI is no longer only a question of technological innovation. It has implications for:

  • Geopolitics
  • National security
  • Economic competitiveness
  • Cybersecurity
  • Employment
  • Data governance
  • Global inequality
  • Strategic autonomy

Why is AI becoming a geopolitical issue?

Artificial Intelligence requires several strategic resources:

AI models + computing power + semiconductors + data + energy + skilled talent

Countries possessing these capabilities can gain significant economic and strategic advantages.

The emerging competition

United States
→ Major frontier AI companies
→ Advanced semiconductor ecosystem
→ Large-scale data centres and computing infrastructure

China
→ Large technology ecosystem
→ State-supported AI development
→ Promotion of open-source AI cooperation through BRICS

Other countries
→ Risk becoming dependent on technologies, models and infrastructure developed elsewhere.

Thus, AI could become another area of great-power technological competition.

What is the concern about "weaponisation" of AI?

AI can have beneficial applications in:

  • Healthcare
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Disaster management
  • Climate modelling
  • Public administration

But the same technology can potentially be used for:

  • Autonomous weapons
  • Cyberattacks
  • Mass surveillance
  • Deepfakes and disinformation
  • Automated targeting
  • Manipulation of information ecosystems

At the BRICS Summit, India stressed the importance of preventing the weaponisation of technology, making AI governance an important international-relations issue.

Open-source AI vs proprietary AI

One important issue discussed in the article is the difference between proprietary/frontier AI systems and open-source AI.

Proprietary AI

Technology is controlled primarily by individual companies.

Advantages:

  • Strong commercial incentives
  • High investment in R&D
  • Potentially rapid innovation

Concerns:

  • Concentration of technological power
  • Limited transparency
  • Dependence on a small number of companies/countries

Open-source AI

Models, code or certain components are made available more openly for modification and development.

Potential advantages:

  • Wider access
  • Innovation by smaller countries and companies
  • Greater technological participation
  • Reduced dependence on a few technology providers

But open access can also create challenges involving:

  • Misuse
  • Cybersecurity
  • Safety controls
  • Responsible deployment

Therefore, open-source does not automatically mean safe AI.

India's position

India is trying to participate in AI development while avoiding excessive dependence on any single technological bloc.

The article highlights India’s position as a possible bridge between different approaches to global AI governance.

India’s approach can be understood through four broad objectives:

① Technological capacity

Develop domestic AI capabilities, computing infrastructure and talent.

② Responsible AI

Promote safe, trustworthy and inclusive AI.

③ Strategic autonomy

Avoid excessive dependence on one country or technology ecosystem.

④ Global South participation

Ensure that developing countries are not merely consumers of AI developed by advanced economies.

Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence — GPAI

India is a founding member of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), established in 2020.

GPAI focuses on responsible AI development and cooperation.

Its broad areas include:

  • Responsible AI
  • Data governance
  • Future of work
  • Innovation and commercialisation

GPAI subsequently integrated its work with the OECD’s AI-related framework, strengthening institutional cooperation on AI governance.

Why important for UPSC?

It demonstrates India’s participation in multilateral AI governance, rather than relying only on bilateral technology partnerships.

India and the Global South

A major concern is that AI development could create a digital divide.

Developed countries possess greater access to:

  • GPUs
  • Data centres
  • AI researchers
  • Venture capital
  • Advanced semiconductor technology

Many developing countries lack these resources.

Therefore, international AI cooperation should address:

Access to computing + affordable technology + skills + data + infrastructure + capacity building

Otherwise, AI could deepen existing global inequalities.

Why are semiconductors important for AI?

AI systems require enormous computing power.

That requires advanced semiconductors and GPUs.

Therefore:

AI → High-performance computing → GPUs → Semiconductors

This creates a connection between AI policy and semiconductor geopolitics.

Countries therefore increasingly view:

  • Semiconductor manufacturing
  • Data centres
  • Cloud infrastructure
  • Critical minerals
  • Energy supply

as strategic assets.

AI and India’s strategic interests

For India, international AI cooperation can help in:

Economic development

AI can increase productivity across manufacturing and services.

Public services

AI can support healthcare, education and governance.

Agriculture

AI-based systems can assist with weather forecasting, crop monitoring and precision agriculture.

Defence and security

AI can improve intelligence analysis, surveillance and cybersecurity, while also creating new risks.

Employment

AI can create new jobs but may also automate certain tasks, making reskilling and lifelong learning important.

Challenges to global AI cooperation

  1. Great-power rivalry

AI cooperation can be affected by U.S.-China strategic competition.

  1. Different regulatory approaches

Countries differ on data protection, privacy, AI safety and innovation.

  1. Unequal technological capacity

Developing countries may lack computing infrastructure and skilled personnel.

  1. Security concerns

Greater openness can increase the risk of malicious use.

  1. Lack of a universally accepted governance framework

There is still no single comprehensive global institution governing all aspects of AI.

Way Forward

Global governance

Strengthen multilateral cooperation on AI safety, transparency and accountability.

International standards

Develop common principles for:

  • AI safety
  • Data governance
  • Transparency
  • Human oversight
  • Accountability

Capacity building

Developing countries should receive greater access to:

  • Compute
  • Skills
  • Technology
  • Research networks

Open but responsible innovation

Encourage open research while maintaining appropriate safeguards against misuse.

India’s role

India can use platforms such as BRICS, G20, GPAI and the UN to advocate a more inclusive AI governance architecture.

VB-G RAM G: New Rural Employment Framework Replaces MGNREGA

What is VB-G RAM G?

VB-G RAM G stands for Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin).

It was enacted through the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005. The new framework became operational from 1 July 2026.

Its stated objective is to provide rural households with employment while also creating durable rural assets and livelihood infrastructure.

Major Change: 100 Days → 125 Days

Under MGNREGA, an eligible rural household was guaranteed up to 100 days of wage employment in a financial year.

Under VB-G RAM G:

The statutory guarantee has increased to 125 days per rural household per financial year.

This is one of the most important Prelims facts.

Remember:

MGNREGA → 100 days

VB-G RAM G → 125 days

Therefore, the statutory guarantee has increased by 25 days.

Seasonal Pause

A significant change is the provision for a 60-day period during peak agricultural sowing and harvesting seasons when employment works under the programme can be paused.

Why?

The objective is to ensure that rural labour is available for agricultural activities during peak seasons.

This attempts to balance:

Rural employment guarantee ↔ Agricultural labour requirements

This is an important policy linkage for UPSC because rural employment schemes can influence agricultural wages, labour availability and rural livelihoods.

Major Change in Funding Pattern

This is perhaps the most important analytical issue in the new framework.

Under MGNREGA

The scheme was largely demand-driven.

The Centre bore the major financial responsibility, including the full cost of unskilled wages.

Under VB-G RAM G

It follows a Centrally Sponsored Scheme model with greater financial participation by States.

For general States:

Centre : State = 60 : 40

For specified North-Eastern and Himalayan States and certain UTs:

Centre : State = 90 : 10

For Union Territories without a legislature, the Centre bears the entire expenditure.

Why important?

This changes the nature of fiscal federalism because States now have a greater financial responsibility for implementing the employment guarantee

What type of work will be undertaken?

The scheme is intended not merely to provide temporary employment but also to create productive and durable rural assets.

Major areas include:

Water management

  • Water conservation
  • Watershed development
  • Irrigation-related works

Rural infrastructure

  • Rural connectivity
  • Community infrastructure
  • Village-level assets

Livelihood infrastructure

  • Agriculture and allied activities
  • Livelihood-supporting infrastructure

Climate resilience

Works related to:

  • Flood management
  • Disaster preparedness
  • Climate adaptation
  • Forest-fire management

Thus, the scheme attempts to combine:

Employment + Asset creation + Rural development + Climate resilience.

Technology and Transparency

The new framework continues the emphasis on technology-based monitoring.

Important mechanisms include:

  • Digital monitoring
  • Direct Benefit Transfer
  • Electronic wage payments
  • Social audits
  • Public disclosure
  • Technology-based attendance and monitoring

Direct Benefit Transfer

Wages and unemployment allowances are transferred directly to beneficiaries through DBT mechanisms.

This aims to reduce:

  • Leakages
  • Delays
  • Intermediaries
  • Ghost beneficiaries

and improve transparency.

Why is VB-G RAM G important for Rural India?

① Employment security

The guarantee has increased from 100 to 125 days.

② Rural income support

Wage employment provides income support to households during periods of limited employment opportunities.

③ Creation of rural assets

The scheme seeks to ensure that employment expenditure also contributes to productive infrastructure.

④ Women’s participation

Rural employment programmes have historically provided an important source of paid employment for women.

⑤ Distress migration

Employment opportunities within villages can potentially reduce the need for distress migration.

⑥ Climate resilience

Water conservation, flood management and other climate-related works can strengthen rural resilience.

MGNREGA vs VB-G RAM G

Feature

MGNREGA

VB-G RAM G

Year

2005

2025

Status

Replaced

Current framework

Employment guarantee

100 days

125 days

Funding

Major central responsibility

60:40 for general States

Allocation

Demand-driven

Normative allocation

Seasonal provision

No comparable 60-day pause

60-day peak agricultural season pause

Wage payment

DBT/electronic systems

DBT

Focus

Employment + asset creation

Employment + livelihood infrastructure + durable assets

Social audit

Yes

Continued

Implementation

Rural Development framework

New statutory framework

 

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