MAINS Current Affairs includes Reviving Coastal Heritage for an Inclusive Blue Economy & From MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G: Transition in Rural Employment

ECONOMY

1. Reviving Coastal Heritage for an Inclusive Blue Economy

Context: The Blue Economy is receiving increasing policy attention as India expands maritime infrastructure, fisheries, ocean technology and coastal development while pursuing inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

About Blue Economy

• The Blue Economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources for economic development, livelihoods and environmental conservation.
• It encompasses:
  • Fisheries and aquaculture.
  • Shipping and ports.
  • Coastal tourism.
  • Offshore renewable energy.
  • Marine biotechnology.
  • Emerging sectors such as deep-sea mineral exploration.
• For India, the ocean represents both an economic opportunity and an important livelihood base.
  • India has a 11,098.81 km coastline, 13 major ports and an extensive Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
  • Nearly 35% of India’s population lives within 100 km of the coastline.

Significance of Blue Economy

• Economic Growth: Supports ports, shipping, fisheries, tourism and emerging ocean-based industries.
• Employment & Livelihoods: Provides employment to fishing and coastal communities while generating opportunities in new maritime sectors.
• Food & Nutritional Security: Fisheries and aquaculture provide affordable animal protein and support coastal livelihoods.
• Energy Security: Offshore wind, tidal power and other ocean-based technologies can diversify India’s energy sources.
• Climate Resilience: Mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes function as blue-carbon ecosystems and provide protection against coastal hazards.
• Strategic Importance: Maritime infrastructure strengthens India’s position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and global supply chains.
• Cultural Value: Traditional fishing practices, boat-building, maritime festivals and other coastal traditions preserve local knowledge and cultural identity.

India’s Recent Steps & Collaborations

India has adopted a multi-sectoral approach towards developing its Blue Economy through:

• Sagarmala Programme: Promotes port-led development, coastal connectivity and improved logistics efficiency.
• Deep Ocean Mission: Focuses on deep-sea exploration, ocean science, marine biodiversity and assessment of ocean resources.
• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): Seeks to modernise fisheries infrastructure, improve productivity and strengthen the livelihoods of fishers.
• Blue Revolution & Sustainable Aquaculture: Aims to increase fisheries productivity while limiting ecological pressures.
• Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI): Promotes cooperation in areas including marine ecology, ocean resources and disaster-risk reduction.
• Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA): Provides a platform for cooperation on sustainable fisheries, marine research and ocean governance.

Global Efforts Related to Blue Economy

• UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14): Promotes the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources.
• UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021–2030): Seeks to strengthen scientific knowledge and research for sustainable ocean management.
• BBNJ Agreement: Strengthens the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
• World Bank PROBLUE Programme: Supports sustainable ocean-based economic activities, marine conservation and inclusive development.
• OECD Initiatives: Promote better governance, investment and sustainable development of ocean economies.

Related Issues & Concerns

• Blue Grabbing: Rapid expansion of ports, tourism and offshore projects may displace small-scale fishers or restrict their traditional access to coastal resources.
• Overfishing: Unsustainable fishing practices can deplete marine resources and threaten fisher livelihoods.
• Marine Pollution: Plastic waste, chemical pollutants and untreated waste pose serious threats to marine ecosystems.
• Climate Risks: Coastal erosion, cyclones and sea-level rise increasingly threaten coastal settlements and infrastructure.
• Habitat Destruction: Mangrove, coral reef and other coastal ecosystems face degradation.
• Unequal Distribution of Benefits: Local communities may not receive an adequate share of revenue generated by tourism and port-led development.
• Seafarer Welfare: Poor working conditions and abandonment risks remain concerns in the maritime sector.
• Gender Inequality: Women contribute substantially to post-harvest fisheries activities but remain underrepresented in maritime decision-making.
• Underutilisation of Traditional Knowledge: Traditional ecological knowledge is often insufficiently integrated into formal marine governance.

Case Studies: India & World

• Kumbalangi, Kerala: Community-based tourism built around fishing traditions, coir-making and Chinese fishing nets demonstrates how coastal heritage can generate additional livelihoods.
• Chilika Lake, Odisha: Community participation in fisheries management and livelihood diversification demonstrates the importance of balancing ecological conservation with fisher interests.
• Seychelles: Marine conservation combined with tourism demonstrates how tourism revenues can contribute to ecosystem protection.
• Zanzibar: Traditional dhow-building illustrates how maritime heritage can support cultural tourism and artisan livelihoods.

Way Forward: Sustainable Blue Economy

India should shift from a narrow “blue growth” approach towards a “blue regeneration” model that combines economic development with ecological and social sustainability.

• Empower Coastal Communities: Make coastal communities co-owners rather than merely beneficiaries by ensuring their representation in fisheries, tourism and port planning.
• Local Employment & Revenue Sharing: Introduce local hiring and appropriate revenue-sharing mechanisms in coastal development projects.
• Integrate Traditional & Scientific Knowledge: Combine traditional ecological knowledge with modern marine science for better resource management.
• Skill Development: Expand ocean literacy, vocational education, reskilling and employment opportunities in fishing districts.
• Promote Women’s Participation: Support women-led fisheries enterprises, ecotourism initiatives and marine value chains.
• Strengthen Ecosystem-Based Governance: Improve marine spatial planning, sustainable fisheries management and restoration of degraded coastal ecosystems.
• Preserve Maritime Heritage: Treat traditional boat-building, museums, festivals and historic ports as economic and cultural assets.

Conclusion

• India’s Blue Economy can become an engine of inclusive growth, ecological security and maritime power only when coastal communities have a meaningful role in shaping its development.
• The objective should not merely be to extract greater economic value from the ocean, but to build an ocean economy that protects marine ecosystems and strengthens the communities that have depended on them for generations.

GOVERNANCE /EMPLOYMENT

2. From MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G: Transition in Rural Employment

Context: The transition from MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G has been accompanied by a significant decline in rural employment generation.

• This has raised concerns regarding implementation, wage security, employment availability and rural livelihoods.

About MGNREGA and VB-G RAM G

MGNREGA, enacted in 2005, is a rights-based and demand-driven employment guarantee programme.

• It provides up to 100 days of unskilled wage employment to rural households willing to undertake manual work.
• It promotes:
  • Livelihood security;
  • Women’s participation;
  • Panchayati Raj institutions; and
    • Creation of durable rural assets.
  • VB-G RAM G represents the Union Government’s new framework for rural employment and livelihoods.
    • It seeks to strengthen rural employment by integrating employment generation with infrastructure development, livelihood promotion and the broader Viksit Bharat vision.

Key Changes in the Transition

• Higher Employment Guarantee:
  • The new framework seeks to expand the guaranteed employment period beyond the MGNREGA framework.
• Greater State Participation:
  • Unlike the predominantly Centre-funded wage-employment structure under MGNREGA, VB-G RAM G introduces greater Centre-State cost sharing.
• Planning & Convergence:
  • Greater emphasis is placed on linking employment works with rural infrastructure, agriculture, water management and livelihood assets.
• Technology-Based Monitoring:
  • Digital attendance, facial recognition and other technology-based mechanisms are being emphasised for verification and transparency.
• Revised Wage Framework:
  • Wage rates have been separately notified under the new system.
• The transition was formally operationalised from July 1, 2026, following the framing of relevant rules and notifications.

Significance of the Transition

• Convergence: Employment expenditure can simultaneously create productive assets and strengthen rural infrastructure.
• Livelihood Diversification: Connecting wage employment with agriculture, water conservation and allied activities can create more sustainable income opportunities.
• Fiscal Predictability: A defined financing structure can improve budgetary planning and expenditure management.
• Digital Transparency: Technology can help reduce ghost beneficiaries, duplicate attendance and leakages.
• Viksit Bharat Objective: Rural employment can be integrated with broader objectives of inclusive growth, poverty reduction and resilient rural economies.
• Social Protection: Employment guarantees remain important for income smoothing, rural wage formation, social protection and women’s economic participation.

Related Issues & Concerns

• Sharp Decline in Employment Generation:
  • MGNREGA and VB-G RAM G together generated around 70 crore person-days between April and July 2026, compared with 119–128 crore person-days during the corresponding period of the previous two years.
  • This represents a decline of approximately 43% from the recent average.
• Sharp July Decline:
  • Even if employment generation reached around 9 crore person-days in July 2026, it would remain more than 40% below July 2025.
• Impact on Poorer States:
  • In 10 of 19 major States, employment generation reportedly declined by 60–85%.
  • In Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, employment generation reportedly came close to a standstill during parts of April–July 2026.
• Financing:
  • The Union Budget 2026–27 allocated ₹95,692 crore for VB-G RAM G.
  • Including State contributions, the overall resource envelope was expected to reach approximately ₹1.5 lakh crore.
• Implementation Disruption:
  • Uncertainty surrounding rules and opening of works affected employment availability during the crucial agricultural lean season.
• Centre-State Financing:
  • Greater State contributions could constrain the capacity of financially weaker States to generate employment.
• Digital Exclusion:
  • Facial recognition and technology-dependent attendance systems may exclude workers because of poor connectivity, authentication problems or technical failures.
• Delayed Wage Payments:
  • Administrative and technological bottlenecks could undermine timely payment of wages.
• Inter-State Disparities:
  • The decline has been particularly pronounced in several large and economically weaker States.
• Demand Suppression:
  • If workers face difficulties in accessing employment and consequently stop demanding work, lower recorded employment may incorrectly appear to reflect lower demand rather than restricted access.

Efforts Related to Rural Employment

Rural employment forms part of a wider rural-development ecosystem:

• DAY-NRLM: Promotes women’s Self-Help Groups and rural livelihoods.
• PM-KISAN: rovides income support to eligible farmer families.
• PMAY-G: Supports rural housing and associated employment opportunities.
• PMGSY: Improves rural road connectivity.
• Skill India/PMKVY: Promotes skill development and employability.
• DDU-GKY: Provides skill training and placement support to rural youth.
• Watershed & Irrigation Programmes: Promote climate-resilient rural infrastructure and asset creation.

Way Forward: Strengthening Rural Employment in India

The objective should not simply be to replace one employment programme with another, but to preserve the rights-based employment guarantee while improving implementation.

• Ensure Uninterrupted Employment: Employment should remain readily available during agricultural lean seasons.
• Strengthen Gram Panchayat Planning: Local institutions should play a stronger role in identifying works based on local needs.
• Equitable Centre-State Financing: The financing structure should ensure that poorer States are not discouraged from providing employment.
• Technology as an Enabler: Digital systems should facilitate access rather than become barriers.
  • Alternative authentication and offline mechanisms should be available for workers facing technological difficulties.
• Timely Wage Payments: Wage payments should be prompt and transparent, supported by effective grievance-redress mechanisms.
• Strengthen Social Accountability: Social audits, Gram Sabha oversight, public disclosure of muster rolls and independent evaluation should remain central to ensuring accountability.

Conclusion

• The transition from MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G should be judged not merely by the design of the new framework but by its ability to guarantee timely employment and protect rural livelihoods.
• A successful rural employment system must combine employment security, adequate financing, productive asset creation, technological transparency and strong local participation.

The ultimate objective should be to ensure that rural workers do not lose access to employment during the transition and that the programme contributes meaningfully to inclusive and resilient rural development.

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