This paper investigates how the employment generating scheme MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) is different from other employment generating scheme and finds how MGNREGA is supporting economic development by creating community/productive assets at the level of villages.
Since 2000, India has experienced rapid economic growth and a sharp decline in poverty. But employment has grown more slowly. Government intervened in the economy through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which provides employment to unskilled workers in rural areas besides creating community/productive assets at the level of village such as wells, tanks, ponds, roads etc. This programme is designed to provide income protection against poverty in rural area. The choice of works under MGNREGA seeks to address the causes of chronic poverty such as drought, deforestation and soil erosion.
MGNREGA is different from other employment and poverty alleviation programme in the sense that it is a legal framework and right to work based programme. This is a paradigm shift from its earlier programmes for it is a bottom-up, demand driven structure with built-in social audits.
Table of Contents
- Context
- Why MGNREGA?
- History of Wage Employment Programme
- Objectives of MGNREGA
- Salient Features of MGNREGA
- Funding of MGNREGA
- Why NREGA is so popular?
- What is wrong in MGNREGA?
- How Long MGNREGA?
- Employment Schemes across the World
- Discussion and Suggestions
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper investigates the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), examining its design, implementation, and impact on economic development in rural India. It explores how MGNREGA differs from other employment and poverty alleviation programs and assesses its role in creating community assets and supporting livelihoods.
- The unique legal framework and right-to-work basis of MGNREGA.
- The impact of MGNREGA on poverty reduction and income security in rural areas.
- The role of MGNREGA in creating community assets and infrastructure.
- Comparison of MGNREGA with other employment generation schemes.
- The demand-driven, bottom-up structure and its implications.
Chapter Summaries
Context: This chapter sets the stage by highlighting the importance of work for economic security, equitable growth, and poverty reduction. It introduces the MGNREGA as a response to these objectives, detailing its legislative history and evolution from the NREGA. The chapter emphasizes the scheme's significance as a right-based framework for wage employment, legally obligating the government to provide employment. It also discusses the concept of universalism in social policy and its relevance to MGNREGA's design, contrasting it with targeted approaches and highlighting MGNREGA's nationwide reach and self-selection mechanism, costing approximately 1% of India's GDP.
Why MGNREGA?: This section explains the rationale behind MGNREGA's creation. It highlights the disparity between India's rapid economic growth and slow employment growth, particularly in agriculture, where disguised unemployment is prevalent. The widening income inequality despite economic growth underscores the need for government intervention. The chapter emphasizes that MGNREGA aims to provide income protection for the rural poor who rely on unskilled labor, focusing on addressing the root causes of chronic poverty such as drought and deforestation. It further distinguishes MGNREGA from other programs as a legal, right-to-work scheme with a demand-driven structure and built-in social audits.
Salient Features of MGNREGA: This chapter details the key characteristics of MGNREGA. It describes the guaranteed 100 days of wage employment per rural household, the creation of community assets (wells, roads, etc.), and the emphasis on timely wage payments with provisions for compensation in case of delays. The discussion includes the phased rollout of the scheme and its nationwide coverage. The chapter also touches upon MGNREGA's broader objectives, including environmental protection, women's empowerment, and rural-urban migration reduction, all contributing to the scheme's potential to boost the rural economy and promote social equity.
Keywords
MGNREGA, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, rural development, employment guarantee, poverty alleviation, community assets, wage employment, demand-driven, universalism, income support, economic development, social safety net, rural infrastructure, India.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview of MGNREGA
What is the purpose of this document?
This document provides a comprehensive overview of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in India. It includes a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords, offering a structured and professional analysis of the program.
What topics are covered in the Table of Contents?
The table of contents covers the context of MGNREGA, its rationale, historical background, objectives, salient features, funding, popularity, shortcomings, duration, comparisons with global employment schemes, and concluding discussions and suggestions.
What are the main objectives and key themes explored in the document?
The document investigates MGNREGA's design, implementation, and impact on rural India's economic development. Key themes include its legal framework, impact on poverty and income security, role in creating community assets, comparisons with other schemes, and the implications of its demand-driven structure.
What are the key features of MGNREGA highlighted in the document?
Key features include the guaranteed 100 days of wage employment per rural household, the creation of community assets (roads, wells, etc.), timely wage payments with provisions for compensation for delays, phased rollout, nationwide coverage, and broader objectives like environmental protection, women's empowerment, and rural-urban migration reduction.
What is the rationale behind the creation of MGNREGA?
MGNREGA addresses the disparity between India's rapid economic growth and slow employment growth, particularly in agriculture. It aims to provide income protection for the rural poor, focusing on addressing the root causes of chronic poverty like drought and deforestation. Its unique aspect is its legal, right-to-work structure with a demand-driven approach and built-in social audits, distinguishing it from other programs.
What is the context of MGNREGA within broader social policy?
The document emphasizes MGNREGA's significance as a right-based framework for wage employment, legally obligating the government to provide employment. It discusses the concept of universalism in social policy, contrasting MGNREGA's nationwide reach and self-selection mechanism with targeted approaches, noting its approximate cost of 1% of India's GDP.
What are the key criticisms or shortcomings of MGNREGA discussed?
The document briefly mentions "What is wrong in MGNREGA?" as a section in the table of contents, indicating a critical examination of potential flaws within the program is included, though the specific criticisms aren't detailed in the provided summaries.
How does MGNREGA compare to other employment schemes globally?
The document mentions a comparative analysis of MGNREGA with employment generation schemes in other countries ("Employment Schemes across the World"), but specific details of this comparison are not provided in the chapter summaries.
What are the key words associated with this document?
Keywords include MGNREGA, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, rural development, employment guarantee, poverty alleviation, community assets, wage employment, demand-driven, universalism, income support, economic development, social safety net, rural infrastructure, and India.
- Citar trabajo
- Rajesh Pal (Autor), 2018, Understanding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). A Scheme Supporting Economic Development, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/452018
