Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), who selects or constitutes the Social Audit Committee to review the implementation of the scheme at the village level?

Introduction / Context:
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) aims to provide livelihood security in rural areas by guaranteeing wage employment. Transparency and accountability are central features of the scheme, and social audits are a key tool to ensure that funds are spent properly and that beneficiaries actually receive the work and wages due to them. This question asks who is responsible for selecting the Social Audit Committee that conducts such audits at the village level.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The scheme under discussion is MGNREGA.
• The focus is on the Social Audit Committee, a body that reviews implementation.
• Options include the Chief Minister, Gram Sabha, Mayor, and Block Development Officer.
• We assume awareness that social audits are intended to be participatory and community driven.

Concept / Approach:
MGNREGA design emphasises community participation and bottom up monitoring. The Gram Sabha, consisting of all eligible adult voters in a village, is central to planning, monitoring, and auditing the scheme. Social Audit Committees are selected or constituted by the Gram Sabha so that ordinary villagers can examine records, inspect works, and question officials. This ensures that auditing is not controlled solely from above by government officers but has genuine local involvement. Therefore, the Gram Sabha is the correct answer, not higher level functionaries like the Chief Minister or BDO.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that MGNREGA places strong emphasis on social audits by the community itself.Step 2: Understand that the Gram Sabha is the basic village assembly and is repeatedly mentioned in the Act as the key local body for planning and monitoring.Step 3: Recognise that a Social Audit Committee selected by the Gram Sabha reflects the principle of people's participation and transparency.Step 4: Note that the Chief Minister, Mayor, or Block Development Officer occupy higher or different levels of government and are not the ones who constitute this village level committee.Step 5: Select the Gram Sabha of the village as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Guidelines issued for the implementation of MGNREGA and for conducting social audits emphasise that the Gram Sabha is responsible for selecting members of the Social Audit Committee. Training material for social audit also explains that the committee should be composed of villagers who are not directly involved in the execution of works and that selection is done in open Gram Sabha meetings to ensure transparency. These details reinforce the centrality of the Gram Sabha in constituting the Social Audit Committee.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Chief Minister of the State: The Chief Minister oversees broad policy and implementation but does not directly select village level Social Audit Committees.
• Mayor of the nearest urban local body: MGNREGA primarily targets rural areas and Gram Panchayats, not urban municipalities.
• Block Development Officer (BDO): While the BDO has administrative responsibilities in MGNREGA, the scheme deliberately gives the Gram Sabha the power to select the Social Audit Committee to ensure community ownership.

Common Pitfalls:
Because many government schemes are implemented top down, students may instinctively choose an administrative officer such as the BDO or a high level political figure such as the Chief Minister as the appointing authority. However, MGNREGA is designed to empower local communities. To avoid confusion, remember that the Gram Sabha is the central institution for planning, monitoring, and auditing under this Act, and that social audits are meant to be citizen led rather than purely bureaucratic exercises.

Final Answer:
Under MGNREGA, the Social Audit Committee is selected or constituted by the Gram Sabha of the village.