This is the name of the new scheme, which will replace the two decade old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MNREGA. By this logic, rural India should be the undisputed kingmaker of national policy. Life expectancy in rural India stands at 68.6 years, compared to 72.9 years in urban areas (9). Climate change is no longer a distant theoretical threat; it is a present reality hitting rural India with disproportionate force. Resolving the divide between “India” and “Bharat” is not just a policy option; it is a moral and existential necessity.

Source: Economic Times December 20, 2025 12:11 UTC