Economic Dualism Subverting Rural Reforms: Drawing Parallels from MGNREGA and Farm Bills, 2020
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Success and failure in MGNREGA implementation in India www.effective-states.org KEY FINDINGS:• There is marked variation -both within and across states -in the provision of employment to those demanding MGNREGA work• Employment outcomes are lower in states with higher poverty levels• MGNREGA implementation depends on the supply of work rather than demand for it• Supply is determined by differences in state capacity and commitment, local power relations, the role of lower-level functionaries, and political competition• Improving employment outcomes requires strengthening the demand-driven aspects of MGNREGA through a focus on local level social audits, funding and tracking of outcomes• States should be provided with support to improve their capacity and allowed a degree of flexibility in MGNREGA implementationThe Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) -offering up to 100 days work each year to rural Indians -is the largest social protection programme in the world, in terms of the number of households covered.There is a lively debate around whether MGNREGA provides a vital social safety net for the poor or merely burdens the economy.Since 2006, it has expanded to cover all districts in India, providing work to 50 million rural households in 2012/13 at a cost of US$8.9 billion.But no one has satisfactorily explained why, despite similar implementation mechanisms, there is such unevenness in outcomes.
Author: Sugandh Choudhary
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W3177911047