MGNREGA Yojana (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act)

MGNREGA Yojana UPSC: MGNREGA Yojana stands for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. It is an effort to improve the livelihood security of rural households in India. This act came into force in 2005. It provides at least 100 days of paid employment every fiscal year to any household whose adult members perform unskilled manual labour. The Act intends to increase the purchasing power of rural populations, particularly semi- or un-skilled labourers who live below the poverty line in rural India.

As of August 2024 data, MGNREGA has 13.11 crore active workers and it has given benefits to 3.93 crore households

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History of MGNREGA

MGNREGA may be traced back to various employment plans launched by the Indian government after independence. However, in 2005, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act came into force, marking a fundamental shift in policy by officially ensuring wage employment. The Act was renamed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in 2009.

What is MGNREGA?

MGNREGA schemes guarantee 100 days of work in rural areas, which helps reduce poverty in rural households in India. Check some of the highlights of the MGNREGA scheme

Legal Guarantee of Employment

MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of work per year to every rural household in India. This guarantees that qualified households have access to a minimum level of work, which helps reduce poverty and provides a safety net during times of economic difficulty.

Focus of Rural Development

MGNREGA's major goal is to improve the livelihood security of rural families by supporting sustainable rural development. The program focusses on the building of productive assets such as water conservation structures, rural roads, and other infrastructure projects that contribute to the general development of rural regions.

Inclusive and Demand-Driven

MGNREGA is intended to be demand-driven, which means that job opportunities are developed in response to indicated needs from the rural population. Beneficiaries have the right to demand work, and the government is required to offer employment within 15 days of such a request.

Women’s Participation

MGNREGA promotes the active participation of workers. As of now, MGNREGA has 33% female participation in its workforce and efforts are being made to make it 50%. This not only contributes to women's empowerment but also addresses gender disparities in rural employment.

Transparency and Accountability

MNGREGA promotes transparency in projects and financial transactions. Audits are being conducted on regular basis to ensure the active participation of local communities and it also provide information about work details, fund allocation through various channels

Electronic Fund Management

MNREGA encourages the use of technology for efficient implementation and monitoring. It uses Electronic Fund Management System (e-FMS) to transfer wages directly to the bank accounts of workers, which also ensures timely payments, minimises corruption, and improves the overall efficiency of the programme. 

Objectives of MGNREGA

The primary objectives of MGNREGA include:

• Improving rural livelihood security by offering at least 100 days of guaranteed wage work every fiscal year.
• Creating long-term assets and enhancing rural poor livelihoods.
• Actively promoting social inclusion by improving livelihood prospects for the most vulnerable communities.
• Encouraging water conservation, drought resilience, land development, and afforestation to promote long-term development.

Questions asked in UPSC on MGNREGA

UPSC continuously asks the questions from MGNREGA schemes in its preliminary and main examination. Below, we have listed some of the questions that were asked in the different stages of UPSC examination

Q1. Among the following, who is eligible to benefit from the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act”? (2011)

(a) Adult members of only the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households

(b) Adult members of below poverty line (BPL) households

(c) Adult members of households of all backward communities

(d) Adult members of any household

Answer: d

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