The National Advisory Council (NAC) played an important role in bringing in legislations like

A. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

B. The Right to Information Act

C. The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Bill

D. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016

Choose the correct answer: 

Key Points

• The National Advisory Council (NAC) played a pivotal role in the formulation and enactment of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
• The NAC was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which has significantly enhanced transparency and accountability in the Indian government.
• The NAC was established to provide policy and legislative inputs to the government, focusing on social justice and inclusive growth.
• Both MGNREGA and the RTI Act are landmark legislations that have had a profound impact on the socio-economic fabric of India.

Additional Information

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
  • MGNREGA was enacted in 2005 and aims to enhance the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
  • It is a social safety net program designed to provide employment and improve infrastructure in rural areas.
  • The Act also aims to create durable assets and strengthen the livelihood resource base of the rural poor.
  • MGNREGA is considered one of the largest and most ambitious social security and public works programs in the world.
• Right to Information (RTI) Act
  • The RTI Act was enacted in 2005 to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority.
  • It empowers citizens to seek information from public authorities, thereby making the government more open and accountable.
  • The Act covers all constitutional authorities, including the executive, legislature, and judiciary.
  • The RTI Act has played a significant role in exposing corruption and ensuring that government actions are open to scrutiny.
• National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Bill
  • The NJAC Bill was introduced to replace the collegium system for the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary in India.
  • The NJAC aimed to make the process of judicial appointments more transparent and accountable.
  • However, the NJAC Act was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015, declaring it unconstitutional.
• Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016
  • The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill aimed to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians) from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
  • The Bill was controversial as it was perceived to discriminate against Muslims.
  • It was later enacted as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.