National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: An Effective Safety Net?

摘要

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) of 2005 was aimed to be an effective livelihood security net for rural households by providing one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment every year to households where adults volunteer to do unskilled manual work. While the Act itself is considered sound, it remains to be seen whether the programme can deliver on its promises, and how well it is aligned to the ground realities. An analysis of the data provided by the 62nd round of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) gives important pointers to make the NREGA programmes more effective; these include alignment with agriculture and its seasonal pattern, ensuring the participation of the underemployed, active participation of village communities, and better awareness of the various NREGA schemes.