MGNREGA Bibliography

Abstract

India’s new government has apparently decided to restructure the United Progressive Alliance’s flagship anti-poverty programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). The scheme confers the right to every rural household to be employed in public works for 100 days per year.

https://www.indiaspend.com/why-150-million-rural-indians-could-be-affe...

Challenges

Abstract

One knows who will suffer if the Narendra Modi government succeeds in weakening MGNREGA.

https://www.epw.in/journal/2014/43-44/editorials/why-attack-mgnrega.ht...

Challenges Corruption Implementation Wages

Abstract

Empowerment brings betterment, improvement or tremendous changes in the present position compared to previous position. Earlier women, especially the rural poor women second consideration behind women. With the passage of time the position and condition of women changed. Literacy programmes, awareness programmes and different kinds of employment generating programme the condition of women has improved a lot. The concept of women empowerment got wider popularity and acceptance with launching of decentralized planning in Jammu and Kashmir. Rural women are traditionally homebound; the employment guarantee act played a significant role for curbing gender discrimination and empowering rural women. The national rural employment guarantee act 2005 or NREGA was brought into force by the union government in February 2006 a different scheme for the betterment of women empowerment and development of rural population. The scheme is attractive especially for women because it stipulates that one third of the total workers should be women. Hence this study aims at analyzing the women participation on MGNREGA special reference to Shahabad block of Anantnag Districts, J& K.

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/WOMEN-EMPOWERMENT-THROUGH-MGNREG...

Gender

Abstract

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act that guarantees employment of every rural household for 100 days has different progressive provisions to incentivise participation of women in the programme. Official data suggest that 47% of all MGNREGA workers are women. The extent to which the programme is inclusive of women, with a particular focus on sub-populations of women such as widows and mothers of young children who typically face serious constraints in the context of labour market participation, is examined in this study using data from the National Sample Survey. The study finds that while the MGNREGA has indeed been inclusive of women, the substantial variations both across states and the exclusion of vulnerable groups of women demand attention.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24480958

Gender Quantitative

Abstract

This paper used a gender and development GAD approach and explores how M G NREGA is opening a new window for the ease of livelihood for rural women in India MGNREGA is the first right based and demand driven employment generating act of the country which ensures some special provisions for rural women. The focus of the act is to mainstream the rural women into the contemporary discourse of economic development MGNREGS is the outcome of this act. This paper keeps an inner look about the expectations from this scheme for the development of women livelihood in rural areas and the challenges in ground level implementation. The problem addressed in this paper is the women work issues generating with the successful implementation of the scheme It is important to find out how the full benefits of the scheme can be explored. This exploration is needed for a large societal benefit and improved rural livelihood. For entire study a twofold approach is taken First is the analysis of available literatures to understand the possible outcomes of the scheme with current discourses of economic development. Second analysis of primary and secondary data for revealing the characteristics of the problem based on gender dynamics of the region. This study relates findings from the field survey of 210 samples in the state of West Bengal India Intensive field study has identified several positive outcomes like saving of time for domestic works mainstreaming of women labour generation of income and livelihood security for village women reorganization of women s work etc with wide regional variations. The study has identified major challenges to get these benefits. The result drawn from the study is general and regionally applicable.

https://socialscienceresearch.org/index.php/GJHSS/article/view/1063

Challenges Gender Implementation

Abstract

While developed countries are increasingly leaning on workfare programmes as a means to reduce work disincentives provoked by their far reaching social security systems, the concept of cash-for-work has gained importance in less developed countries as well. Looking back to a long history of food-for-work programmes in times of economic distress, developing countries increasingly run public works programmes not only to better target benefits to the poor (vis-à-vis welfare programmes) but also to use the emerging labour force to build up the rural economic infrastructure. India implemented the ambitious Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) in 2006, and since then, each rural household is guaranteed 100 days of unskilled wage employment per year within proximity of their residence.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/workfare-as-an-effective-way-to-fig...

Poverty Wages

Abstract

This study seeks to shed light on issues that have not been addressed thus far by previous evaluations. It assumes an effective implementation of the programme under the NREGA— i.e. that the programme is effectively creating jobs for poor people in rural areas, that workers are being paid the official programme wage and that the nation’s castes and tribes are being employed in proportions similar to those stated in the programme’s official figures. With these assumptions, we address the macroeconomic and distributional implications of running an employment generation programme such as the NREGA, including the indirect employment effects it has through its secondary effects on other sectors. Second, we look at the programme’s impact on prices and hence on the cost of living of rural households. Third, we consider the programme’s economic and distributional effects when land productivity increases. Finally, we briefly discuss the extent to which leakages, in the form of hiring non-poor workers, would change the programme’s economy-wide impact, as well as the impact of changing the size of NREGA through a contraction/expansion of its budget.

https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/publications/SPG&E_...

Budget Gender Poverty Quantitative

Abstract

The MGNREGA was introduced in 2005 to meet the challenges of poverty and unemployment in rural India. This paper attempts to exercise a comparative study of asset-creation through MGNREGA among the tribal and non-tribal people in the state of Tripura. The objective was to find out to what extent the distribution of assets is justified in regard to income generation in rural Tripura. The study is based on secondary data and primary data. To carry out the study three (3) Autonomous District Council (ADC) and three (3) non-ADC blocks (a collection of villages) were chosen from this state. The required secondary data for this study were collected from sources such as various Govt. organization like panchayats (local Government at village level), Blocks, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), District Magistrate (DM) Offices etc. The required data for the study was also collected from various websites and different publications of Govt. of Tripura and Govt. of India.

https://www.journalijar.com/article/482/a-study-on-the-impact-of-mahat...

Caste Quantitative

Abstract

This study quantifies the environmental and socio-economic benefits generated by the works implemented under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and assesses the potential of these benefits to reduce vulnerability of agricultural production and livelihoods of the beneficiaries, post-implementation (2011-12) as compared to pre-MGNREGA (2006-07), to current climate variability. Agricultural and livelihood vulnerability indices developed showed reduction in vulnerability due to implementation of works under the Act and resulting environmental benefits.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24477901

Environmental Sustainability Implementation Quantitative

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the assets creation through employment generation by MGNREGA, in economic progress. MGNREGA has been one of the largest employment programmes in India over a decade. A micro level study of Ajmer district of Rajasthan is undertaken. Use of both primary and secondary data is collected with a help of interview schedule, from implementing agencies and websites. Stratified random sampling is used to select the sample size. The period of study is 2011-12 to 2012-13. Pooled regression analysis has been used to assess the asset creation through employment (mendays, womendays) contributing in economic progress of the sample unit. Result shows that in few permissible works, there has been an asset creation in which role of women has been dominating. This has led to improved status and role of decision making power of women in the family. Enrolment of children in school has also increased during the study period. A small effort of this study reveals that for proper utilisation of fund and economic progress of the district through asset creation is that the permissible work undertaken should match the geographical, economical and social requirement of that specified area.

https://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEDS/article/view/9792/0#google_v...

Gender Quantitative

Abstract

The study examines the role of the largest public works program in the world—the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS)—in buffering the negative effects of early childhood exposure to rainfall shocks on long-term health outcomes. Exploiting the spatial and temporal variation in NREGS coverage, the study estimates the extent to which nutritional shocks in early childhood can be offset by access to the program. The study employs a unique identification strategy by integrating detailed administrative records of drought shock and phased rollout information of NREGS with household-level panel data—the Young Lives survey—conducted over three waves (2002, 2007, and 2009–10) in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Using individual fixed effects estimation, the study finds that while the policy does not help correct for long-term past health deficiencies it is useful in buffering recent drought shocks, which vary by policy relevant subgroups.

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/691992?journalCode=e...

Quantitative

Abstract

Laudable aims aside, the implementation of India’s largest welfare programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, leaves much to be desired. Taking a close look at its functioning in three development blocks in Maharashtra in the last three financial years, this study emphasises that there is a serious lack of capacities in the agencies tasked with actualising the scheme. A partnership between local non-governmental organisation and educational institutions could offer a way out by bringing in transparency, accountability, and participation to strengthen local governance.

https://www.epw.in/journal/2013/26-27/special-articles/designed-falter...

Challenges Corruption Implementation

Abstract

Economic impact of MGNREGA programme implemented in Karnataka was assessed in the Most Disadvantaged Districts (MDD) (of Chitradurga and Davanagere) and the Better Endowed District (BED) (of Shimoga) in 2008. Wage differential between MGNREGA and market wage 12 to 39% lower for male labour and 16 to 40 per cent higher for female labour was deterring male workers from MGNREGA work, while encouraging female workers to participate. Real per capita income of participants increased between 10 and 20 per cent, resulting in reduction in labour migration between 13 and 55 per cent. Employment provided to weaker sections of the community under MGNREGA covered women and downtrodden sections adequately. The proportion of women employed was 61 per cent in MDD (Chitradurga district). The highest proportion of MGNREGA expenditure (50 to 75%) has been on water conservation and use. MGNREGA machinery has to expedite wage payment to workers, educate and encourage workers to participate in Gram Sabha meetings to decide types of activities to be taken up to improve worksite facilities and bring greater transparency in procedures followed in provision and execution of work.

https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/20143234680

Budget Gender

Abstract

Analyse the effect of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a wage-for-employment policy of the Indian Government, on infant malnutrition and delineate the pathways through which MGNREGA affects infant malnutrition. Hypothesis: MGNREGA could reduce infant malnutrition through positive effects on household food security and infant feeding. Mixed methods using cross-sectional study and focus group discussions conducted in Dungarpur district, Rajasthan, India. Participants: Infants aged 1 to <12 months and their mothers/caregivers. Final sample 528 households with 1056 participants, response rate 89.6%. Selected households were divided into MGNREGA-households and non-MGNREGA-households based on participation in MGNREGA between August-2010 and September-2011. Outcomes: Infant malnutrition measured using anthropometric indicators - underweight, stunting, and wasting (WHO criteria). We included 528 households with 1,056 participants. Out of 528, 281 households took part in MGNREGA between August’10, and September’11. Prevalence of wasting was 39%, stunting 24%, and underweight 50%. Households participating in MGNREGA were less likely to have wasted infants (OR 0·57, 95% CI 0·37–0·89, p = 0·014) and less likely to have underweight infants (OR 0·48, 95% CI 0·30–0·76, p = 0·002) than non-participating households. Stunting did not differ significantly between groups. We did 11 focus group discussions with 62 mothers. Although MGNREGA reduced starvation, it did not provide the desired benefits because of lower than standard wages and delayed payments. Results from path analysis did not support existence of an effect through household food security and infant feeding, but suggested a pathway of effect through low birth-weight. Participation in MGNREGA was associated with reduced infant malnutrition possibly mediated indirectly via improved birth-weight rather than by improved infant feeding. Addressing factors such as lack of mothers’ knowledge and inappropriate feeding practices, over and above the social and economic policies, is key in efforts to reduce infant malnutrition.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0075...

Qualitative Quantitative Wages

Abstract

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing 100 days of wage-employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The Act also seeks to create durable assets to augment land and water resources, improve rural connectivity and strengthen the livelihood resource base of the rural poor. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) works are largely focused on land and water resources, which include: water harvesting and conservation, soil conservation and protection, irrigation provisioning and improvement, renovation of traditional water bodies, land development and drought proofing. These MGNREGS works have the potential to generate environmental benefits such as ground water recharge, soil, water and biodiversity conservation, sustaining food production, halting land degradation and building resilience to current climate risks such as moisture stress, delayed rainfall, droughts and floods (Tiwari et al., 2011; MoRD, 2012).

https://www.giz.de/en/downloads/giz2013-en-environmental-benefits-vuln...

Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

Using 2009-10 National Sample Survey data, this paper describes patterns of job-seeking, rationing, and participation in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. At the national level, it finds that the self-targeting design of MGNREGS leads to greater rates of self-selection into the programme by poorer and scheduled tribe or scheduled caste households. However, the administrative rationing of MGNREGS jobs is not pro-poor but exhibits a sort of middle-class bias. At the state level, roughly half of 27 states exhibit rationing and participation profiles that signal effective pro-poor targeting; the other half struggle to avoid high rates and regressive patterns of administrative rationing of jobs to which the poor have a legal right.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/23391359

Caste Poverty

Abstract

The paper has examined the changes in household food consumption and nutritional security of poor rural households and has assessed the impact of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on the dietary pattern and nutritional status of these households using the data from 66th round of National Sample Survey (NSS) pertaining to the year 2009. Since getting a job card is the first step for linkage with the MGNREG scheme, only job card holder households were considered in the study. These were further grouped into job seekers and non-job seekers. The non-job seekers were those who were not serious on getting an employment under MGNREGA but had got the job card issued to be used under emergency or as a trump card for getting higher wages from the present employer. The job seekers were also classified as ‘beneficiaries’ (who got employment) and ‘non-beneficiaries (who did not get employment but got unemployment allowance). The study has revealed that MGNREGA has benefitted 22.5 per cent of the rural households by providing, on an average, wage employment for about 43 days. It has increased the income of rural households and has been successful in reducing the poverty level by 4 per cent. The MGNREGA has provided almost equal employment benefits to all the categories of farmsizes, household-types and income-groups. The state-wise study has revealed that though all the states have been benefitted, wide variations do exist. It is observed that the economically weaker states of the country have been benefitted maximum and have implemented the MGNREGA more vigorously. The study has shown that the raise in income could lead to increase in food consumption — both of cereals and non-cereals by all the categories of households. A diversification in the dietary pattern of households has also been observed, which is again a strong indicator of better food consumption. These developments have resulted into a substantial increase in calorie-intake as well as protein-intake by different categories of households, leading to a decrease in the undernourished and nutrition-deficit households by 8–9 per cent. In nutshell, the impact of MGNAREGA has been positive and effective in increasing household food consumption, changing dietary pattern and providing nutritional food security to the poor rural households of India.

https://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:aerr&volume=26&is...

Poverty Wages

Abstract

The study made an effort towards assessment of the impact of works undertaken on individual
land on the lives of small and marginal farmers, SC/ST & IAY and assessed the level of change
in the overall condition. The study broadly captures the perceptive change in income, agricuture
& livelihood of the beneficiaries due to the assets created under MNREGA.

The study also looked into the state level variations and made an attempt to identify the possible
reasons contributing towards the same.

https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/in/impact...

Abstract

The paper assesses the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and its various impacts in the lives of tribal people in the district of Gajapati. As known the MGNREGA provides guarantee employment to the rural households. It empowers the marginalized through decentralized planning and ensures the livelihood security by creating durable assets. The study is based on a random sample of 50 tribal households from of Rayagada block in the Gajapati district of Odisha. This is a quantitative study with descriptive research design which gives an understanding about the level of awareness related to the different provisions of MGNREGA and its impact includes socio economic condition, livelihood security, sustainable asset creation, agricultural productivity, migration and social empowerment.

https://magazines.odisha.gov.in/orissareview/2013/Feb-Mar/engpdf/feb-m...

Quantitative

Abstract

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act of the UPA government in India was introduced primarily to enhance the livelihood of rural households by providing 100 days of employment in rural development works. An analyze of the data for Ottapidaram block of Thoothukudi district has revealed that the scheme was able to provide only 26 days of employment in a year on average. Moreover the average earnings by each person did not exceed Rs. 2000 per year.

http://www.internationaljournalcorner.com/index.php/ijird_ojs/article/...

Implementation Wages

Abstract

Wages

Abstract

MGNREGA has a flagship programme of UPA government which is given 100 days job assurance in rural areas for unskilled persons. It also creating social inclusion by given 33% jobs assurance for women. It is one of the important opportunities for women. Bundelkhand region of (M.P.) has a backward area and in this area MGNREGA had not provided 100 days job guarantee to who are willing to do jobs under this Scheme. Irregularities also found in implementation of MGNREGA in this area. Like Mustor roll was not prepared properly & wages inequalities between women and men. But another picture is that it’s provided some amount of jobs for peoples in this area. In Bundelkhand region government data shown that jobs were provided under MGNREGA but social & individual researches could not found them. In many cases found that jobs were provided to real beneficiaries. And in some cases wages were not given after completing of work. Unemployment allowance which is another safe guard of this scheme not provided who want to jobs but unfortunately jobs were not provided within 15 days of jobs demanding.

https://www.ijmds.in/index.php/ijmds/article/view/31

Challenges Gender Implementation Wages

Abstract

https://www.epw.in/journal/2013/36/letters/mgnrega-alternative-view.ht...

Wages

Abstract

Rural Development is the one of the major objectives of the socio-economic programmes implemented by the Central and State governments in India. Some of the programmes are very much target oriented and playing vital role in this area. MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) is one of the programme who has attained considerable recognition among rural masses and significantly uplifting the livelihood by creation of new jobs and involving rural people in some of the States. This study revealed that there is a noteworthy improvement in the awareness level among the beneficiaries in rural areas and positive effects of these programmes especially in villages can be identified. Now rural local bodies such as Gram Panchayats are also actively participating in the rural development process. In this paper an attempt has made to evaluate the financial and physical progress under MGNREGA in the District Jind of Haryana State. The positive impact of MGNREGA in Jind District cannot be ignored; which is an encouraging indicator for State and Central governments. It has also been suggested in the paper that; in future, more such target oriented programmes should be implemented so that, the gap between poor and rich and rural and urban areas could be bridged.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2399825

Implementation Urban

Abstract

Amid rising concerns of fiscal deficit and defying the advocates of rural-urban migration, the Union government of India has remained committed to its flagship social program known as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Launched in the year 2006, it is the largest social scheme of its kind anywhere in the world. In the financial year 2012-13 alone, more than 48 million people were provided employment under the scheme. While the scheme has shown positive results in many districts of the country, it is also facing its share of challenges on economic, managerial and political fronts. Qualitative measure gives a better insight into the success of social schemes like MGNREGA. However we should also have a comprehensive quantitative measure for the same. In this paper, we develop a methodology to measure the success of implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in different states of India and also look at some of the factors correlated to the comparative success of states. We also discuss some of the key features of the scheme from the point of view of policy making decisions. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n13p367

https://www.richtmann.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/view/1524

Challenges Implementation Politics Urban

Abstract

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage-employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. Apart from the women empowerment point of view which is quite typical in Kerala, MGNREGA implementation has got tremendous potential for economic development of Kerala state, particularly through the socioeconomic upliftment of the rural poor. Besides, NREGS has the potential to give a new dimension to the work culture in the state. While the workers have been hitherto controlled by contractors and their middlemen who know how to extract work. With the NREGS implementation the out turn has been initially very poor as the workers could not be supervised properly. However, soon the workers have themselves realized that they would be losing collectively and a new internal dynamics evolved with peer pressure forcing workers to put in their maximum effort. Besides, a kind of social responsibility has also become evident as more capable workers have become more than willing to put in extra effort to make up for those who genuinely could not do hard work beyond a point, like the women and the elderly. In short, a new culture that promises far reaching benefits to the state in the future has begun to emerge.

https://www.internationaljournalcorner.com/index.php/ijird_ojs/article...

Gender Implementation Poverty

Abstract

Official data from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act website is examined alongside independently collected survey and ethnographic data. The validity of the official data is verified by comparing it to field-level observations. This is done at various levels, and in doing so, it is shown that in certain ways the official mgnrega data is robust. In other very important ways the data is shown to be highly problematic for these particular villages in Tamil Nadu, for which the exercise is done.

https://www.epw.in/journal/2013/30/commentary/sounding-note-caution.ht...

Quantitative

Abstract

Migration can act as a negative force. It can lead to distress migration, which is what happens when people have to go to cities to find work because they cannot survive on what they can earn in their own villages. Can NREGA be used to curb rural urban migration? The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the flagship welfare programme of the UPA Government was passed by Parliament in August 2005 and came into effect on 5th September 2005. It has been derided by many as yet another instance of a large chunk of public money being flushed down the drain in pointless rural development works. Reports of schemes consisting of the NREGA workers digging ditches and then re-filling them at work sites, of workers not being paid their wages, of inflated muster rolls with non existent workers and large amounts being swindled out of the programme which is amply funded by the Centre, and most recently, the gruesome murder of Lalit Mehta, a social activist whose work had exposed corruption in the NREGA scheme in Jharkhand do nothing to change the negative image of the programme. There is an article every week pointing out the regions where NREGA has failed miserably. However, though the picture is certainly not as rosy as the Bharath Nirman advertisements would like us to believe, there are some places where NREGA is being implemented very well, where it is a life-line for its workers, and the success stories in these places should be highlighted more to serve as a model for the rest of the country.

https://www.cppr.in/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/NREGA_Paper-Naomi.pdf

Corruption Urban Wages

Abstract

Poverty is present in every country in the world, in all its multiple aspects – income instability, limited access to labor and credit markets, health problems, lack of education… The fight against poverty involves a host of actors and many areas of public action. In developing countries, where political institutions are more fragile and administration less efficient, reducing poverty is both more necessary and more difficult.

https://www.cepremap.fr/depot/opus/OPUS33.pdf

Poverty

Abstract

When the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was first mooted in 2004, it was pointed out (Rational Expectations, October 25, 2004) that once fully rolled out, the scheme would cost Rs 150,000 crore a year against the estimate of Rs 40,000 crore. The Rs 40,000 crore estimate was based on the assumption that just the poor would opt for the scheme, which would involve hard labour, but this column argued that even the non-poor would opt for the scheme since it promised the minimum wage, which is something they never got for most months of the year in their current jobs. In other words, wages would rise with the NREGA and this would then have repercussions in other areas””wages rising is obviously a good thing, but if it makes agriculture that much more unviable, it may not be as good.So far, the finance minister has ensured the NREGA’s cost is way below what has been estimated, but that is primarily because the scheme has not been rolled out across the country and, more important, it is not being offered to everyone in the manner promised. If it was, there is no way the finance minister could have increased the NREGA allocation by just Rs 700 crore (from Rs 11,300 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 12,000 crore in 2007-08) while increasing the coverage of the scheme from 200 districts to 330 districts. Only one of two outcomes is possible. Either the scheme will not be offered to everyone who wants to opt for it, or the money spent will dramatically outstrip the allocation.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/sunil-jain-wages-of-...

Wages

Abstract

This paper uses a three-round 4,000-household panel from Andhra Pradesh together with administrative data to explore short and medium-term poverty and welfare effects of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Triple difference estimates suggest that participants significantly increase consumption (protein and energy intake) in the short run and accumulate more nonfinancial assets in the medium term. Direct benefits exceed program-related transfers and are most pronounced for scheduled castes and tribes and households supplying casual labor. Asset creation via program-induced land improvements is consistent with a medium-term increase in assets by nonparticipants and increases in wage income in excess of program cost.

https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/docum...

Caste Poverty Quantitative Wages

Abstract

While the transformation of rural gender inequalities was not an intended goal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, this study draws on evidence from two villages in western Tamil Nadu to show how the scheme has benefited rural women in particular. Major attractions of the MGNREGA work include local availability through the year, it being perceived as relatively “easy” work with fixed, regular, gender equal wages, and free from caste-based relations of subordination and discrimination. The gendered impacts of MGNREGA are partly due to the universal, right-based and women-friendly nature of the policy, and partly to the specific ways in which this policy is implemented in Tamil Nadu, where it has received significant cross-party political support.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24477900

Caste Gender Implementation Wages

Abstract

Timely and reliable payment of wages under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is meant to be one of the initial applications of Aadhaar – the unique identity number that is supposed to be given to every resident of India. Pilot experiments with Aadhaarenabled payment systems were initiated in Jharkhand a few months ago. This article reports the findings of an informal study of this experiment, based on a quick survey conducted in Ratu block of Ranchi district in March 2012.

https://www.epw.in/journal/2012/49/commentary/aadhaar-enabled-payments...

Wages

Abstract

This paper examines, in particular, the effects of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) programme on employment, wages and incomes of the rural poor. It also considers its effect on overall growth of the economy. In September 2005, India’s parliament enacted a remarkable piece of legislation – the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), later renamed Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The Act recognizes employment as an entitlement and defines an obligation for the government – the obligation to provide, in each year, 100 days of wage employment at a stipulated minimum wage to all rural households whose members are seeking or willing to do unskilled manual work. Employment scheme under MGNREGA – we shall henceforth refer to it as MGNREGS – was launched in 200 poorest districts during 2006-07 and extended to another 130 districts during 2007-08. Since 2008-09, MGNREGS has been implemented in all the 600-odd non-urban districts in the country.

https://www.ilo.org/publications/addressing-employment-challenge-india...

Implementation Wages

Abstract

It has long been hypothesised that public works programmes, in addition to the welfare effect on those directly employed, can influence equilibrium wage rates. In this paper we test the impact of the Indian government’s major public works programme, the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG), on agricultural wages. The rollout of NREG in three phases is used to identify difference-in-difference estimates of the programme effect. Using monthly wage data from the period 2000-2011 for a panel of 249 districts across 19 Indian states, we find that on average NREG boosts the real daily agricultural wage rates by 5.3 per cent. It takes 6 to 11 months for an NREG intensity shock to feed into higher wages. The wage effect appears to be gender neutral and biased towards unskilled labour. It is positive across different implementation stages and months. It remains significant even after controlling for rainfall; district and time fixed effects; and phase-wise linear, quadratic, and cubic time trends. The validity of our identification strategy is confirmed by placebo tests. We argue that since most of the world’s poor live in rural areas, and the poorest of the poor are agricultural wage labourers, rural public works constitute a potentially important anti-poverty policy tool.

https://ideas.repec.org/p/csa/wpaper/2012-05.html

Gender Implementation Poverty Wages

Abstract

There is corruption in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, no question about that. But simple indices that claim to measure corruption and make an assessment of interstate levels of corruption can end up offering us a wrong understanding.

https://www.epw.in/journal/2012/08/commentary/corruption-mgnregs.html

Challenges Corruption

Abstract

An analysis of the National Sample Survey data for 2009-10 confirms expectations that poorer states of India have more demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. However, we find considerable unmet demand for work on the scheme in all states, and more so in the poorest ones, where the scheme is needed most. Nonetheless, the scheme is reaching the rural poor and backward classes and is attracting poor women into the workforce.

https://www.epw.in/journal/2012/16/special-articles/does-indias-employ...

Gender Poverty Qualitative

Abstract

In 2005 India introduced an ambitious national anti-poverty program, now called the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The program offers up to 100 days of unskilled manual labor per year on public works projects for any rural household member who wants such work at the stipulated minimum wage rate. The aim is to dramatically reduce poverty by providing extra earnings for poor families, as well as empowerment and insurance. If the program worked in practice the way it is designed, then anyone who wanted work on the scheme would get it. However, analysis of data from India’s National Sample Survey for 2009/10 reveals considerable un-met demand for work in all states. The authors confirm expectations that poorer families tend to have more demand for work on the scheme, and that (despite the un-met demand) the self-targeting mechanism allows it to reach relatively poor families and backward castes. The extent of the un-met demand is greater in the poorest states — ironically where the scheme is needed most. Labor-market responses to the scheme are likely to be weak. The scheme is attracting poor women into the workforce, although the local-level rationing processes favor men.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2026807#:~:text=If...

Caste Environmental Sustainability Gender Poverty Quantitative Wages

Abstract

Malnutrition is a major risk factor for mortality in children aged 1–12 months in India. Macroeconomic and social policies are determinants of both health and health inequalities. Therefore, policies targeting poverty and food insecurity might reduce infant malnutrition. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, a wage-for-employment policy of the Indian Government, targets deprivation and food insecurity in rural households. The Act could prevent malnutrition in children by improving household food security or increase the risk of malnutrition by reducing the time devoted to infant care or feeding if mothers are employed. We analysed the effect of household’s and mother’s participation in the scheme on malnutrition of children aged 1–12 months and studied how this effect occurred. We did a quantitative cross-sectional study (single-stage cluster sampling) and qualitative focus group discussions (nested sampling) in Dungarpur district in Rajasthan, India. We randomly selected (with Stata; version 10.1) 44 villages from the five administrative blocks of the district. All households with infants aged 1–12 months (identified with records of the local village nurse and community health worker) in each of these villages were asked to participate in the study. We measured three indicators of malnutrition: underweight, stunting, and wasting (WHO criteria). We used multivariable logistic regression modelling with a hierarchical approach. We analysed focus group discussions to generate themes, and quantified theoretical pathways by path analysis. We included 528 households with 1056 participants. Between August, 2010, and September, 2011, 281 households took part in the scheme, and 247 did not. Mothers were employed in 51 (18%) households in the scheme. Prevalence of wasting was 39% (n=206), stunting 24% (n=129), and underweight 50% (n=266). Households in the scheme were less likely to have wasted infants (odds ratio [OR] 0·58, 95% CI 0·38–0·90; p=0·016) and less likely to have underweight infants (OR 0·47, 95% CI 0·30–0·74; p=0·002) than were households not in the scheme. Stunting did not differ significantly between groups (OR 0·79, 95% CI 0·54–1·16; p=0·222). We did 11 focus group discussions with 65 mothers. Although the scheme reduced starvation, it did not provide the amount of benefit claimed by the programme because of lower than standard wages and delayed payments. Participants generally agreed that mother’s employment was detrimental to infant care and feeding because of a lack of facilities at worksites for child care and breastfeeding. Results from path analysis did not support existence of an effect through household food security and infant feeding but did suggest a pathway of effect through low birthweight. The probability of being born with low birthweight (<2·5 kg) was lower in participating households than in non-participating households, which reduced the risk of infant malnutrition in the participating households. The probability coefficients of the Act's effect on each indicator were for wasting: indirect path −0·21 (p=0·074), direct path −0·23 (p=0·216), total −0·44 (p=0·016); for underweight: indirect −0·25 (p=0·051), direct −0·43 (p=0·061), total −0·68 (p=0·007); for stunting: indirect −0·06 (p=0·204), direct −0·26 (p=0·065), total −0·32 (p=0·047). Path analysis and logistic regression did not show a significant effect of mother's employment on the outcomes. Participation in the wage-for-employment programme was associated with reduced malnutrition, possibly mediated indirectly by improved birthweight rather than by improved infant feeding. Provision of child-care facilities at worksites could mitigate the negative effects of mother's participation in the scheme. Although the scheme seems to reduce risk of low birthweight, ensuring timely and adequate payment could improve food security, and augment the protective effect of the programme against infant malnutrition.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)602...

Poverty Qualitative Quantitative Wages

Abstract

A majority of the permissible works being carried out under MGNREGS relate to building of assets aimed at enhancing rural water security. The present study attempts to assess how durable these assets have been and how effective MGNREGS has been in helping improve rural water security. The results based on a case study in the state of Madhya Pradesh show that despite the restrictions imposed on non-use of any machinery for construction of structures and several other limitations, the water structures that have been built are of a reasonably good quality and hold a great promise in improving rural water security. There are, however, some impediments in converting water available in these structures into utilisable water. Successful mediation through appropriate intervention strategies can not only enable beneficiary farmers to use the available water more productively, it can also enhance more productive utilisation of MGNREGS money invested in asset creation.

https://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/iwmi-tata/PDFs/2012_Highlight-32.pdf

Environmental Sustainability Implementation

Abstract

Prevailing practices in evaluating workfare programs have ignored the disutility of the type of work done, with theoretically ambiguous implications for the impacts on poverty. In the case of India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, past assessments have relied solely on household consumption per person as the measure of economic welfare. The paper generalizes this measure to allow for the disutility of casual manual work. The new measure is calibrated to the distribution of the preference parameters implied by maximization of an idiosyncratic welfare function assuming that there is no rationing of the available work. The adjustment implies a substantially more “poor-poor” incidence of participation in the scheme than suggested by past methods. However, the overall impacts on poverty are lower, although still positive. The main conclusions are robust to a wide range of alternative parameter values and to allowing for involuntary unemployment using a sample of (self-declared) un-rationed workers.

http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12113

Poverty Quantitative

Abstract

A common criticism of the National Rural Employment Guarantee programme is that it does not lead to the creation of permanent assets and a sustained increase in incomes. This field study of the construction of wells in one block in Ranchi district of Jharkhand shows that asset creation under this programme can result in the creation of income-generating assets.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/41720080

Environmental Sustainability Qualitative

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increasing interest in using public-works programs as anti-poverty measures in developing countries. This paper analyzes the rural labor market impacts of the Indian National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, one of the most ambitious programs of its kind, by using a regression discontinuity design. I find that private-sector wages increase substantially for women, but not for men, and that these effects are concentrated during the main agricultural season. In contrast, there is little evidence for negative private employment effects.

https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/6858/labor-market-impacts-of-a-lar...

Gender Poverty Quantitative Wages

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the awareness of beneficiaries on Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. To achieve the purpose of the study, 600 beneficiaries were randomly selected as sample by using multi stage random sampling. Paper-based survey questionnaire design was carried out as research design in the study. The interview schedule focuses on the basic rules and regulation of MGNREGA which are related to the beneficiaries such as Registration for employment, Employment, Wage payment, Facilities at the workplace, Records in workplace, Casualty at work site and Grievance Redressal mechanism. The appropriate statistical analysis was carried with the help of using popular statistical package SPSS 16. The results of the study indicate that the beneficiaries have adequate awareness in Registration for employment, Employment, Wage payment, Facilities at the workplace and Records in workplace except Casualty at work site and Grievance Redressal mechanism. In addition, the beneficiaries who have studied higher secondary level have more awareness on MGNREGA than others. This result of the study will be relevant and significant to the Government and NGOs to implement the scheme effectually.

https://www.proquest.com/openview/3b8ea5e324e362f316a6a12ab9e166b7/1?p...

Implementation Quantitative Wages

Abstract

Large-scale social safety net programs such as India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) are difficult to implement due to governance challenges related to elite capture, leakages, and corruption. The ability to identify how the governance challenges of program implementation can be met requires detailed insights into the actual process of program implementation, with clear views on the source of leakage and mismanagement, the sensitivity of program implementation to the influence of different actors, local power structures and informal bureaucratic processes. This paper uses a new participatory research method, referred to as Process-Influence Mapping, to shed light on these issues and related governance challenges, using the implementation of NREGA as an example. The Process-Influence Mapping tool helps identify the specific features of the NREGA implementation process that limit the program’s effectiveness (for example, elite capture in the definition of work and capacity limitations due to staff shortages and lack of training) and create scope for the misappropriation of funds. The insights gained can be used to identify policy options for reforming the administrative process of NREGA implementation so as to create an effective social safety net.

Challenges Corruption Implementation

Abstract

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/8755661/mgnrega-implementation-...

Implementation

Abstract

According to a recent Indian Government committee constituted to estimate poverty, nearly 38% of India’s population is poor. More than 75% of poor people reside in villages. Rural poverty is largely a result of low productivity and unemployment. In order to alleviate rural poverty by generating employment and creation of sustainable assets in Rural India, Government of India brought in the flagship programme called Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005. However, Social security programmes are not free from flaws. So is the case with MGNREGA. This article highlights the issues and challenges being faced by Government while implementing the world’s largest employment generating programme and the issues among the people covered under the scheme.

https://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:ijpss&volume=2&is...

Challenges Implementation Poverty

Abstract

Underlining the critical role played by the MGNREGA, this paper exemplifies the issues, challenges and significance of MGNREGA particularly in the context of rural India. Primary Data was collected using structured questionnaire from 153 respondents and Secondary Data has been used mainly from the official website of MGNREGA. The study makes a comparative analysis between the select fifteen states of the Indian Union and provides the framework for policy recommendation for the states with regard to various parameters. F Test indicates that there is a significant effect of social segment on participation rate. Three major issues (a) Governance; (b) Quality of Life; and (c) Wage and Productivity have been found as the most important factors after conducting the factor analysis. A rampant corruption found in many states has been highlighted even among the well performing states manifesting the potent flagship programme to be deceptive and skeptic about its functioning.MGNREGA has been proved to be the largest employment programme particularly for the rural India and has contributed towards the increase in purchasing power by being a major source of income for the bottom of the pyramid people in the Society. It has helped in solving problems of rural distress but a lot needs to be done. The wage rate should be increased and linked with inflation. I was also found that the minimum number of days should be increased from 100 to 180. Women have outperformed men in terms of productivity and their participation should be increased.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2170039

Challenges Corruption Wages