Participation of various socio-economic groups in MGNREGA: A study of Rajasthan

Abstract

In a developing country like India poverty and rural unemployment have been pressing problems for decades. In this regard, the Government of India launched a number of schemes from time to time. Most of these schemes primarily aim at improving economic security of the rural population. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) came into force on February 2, 2006 and was implemented in phased manner. One of the important objectives of MNREGA is to ensure employment and livelihood security of households living in rural areas of the country. It aims at providing not less than hundred days of unskilled manual work in a financial year to every household in the rural areas. Since its inception MGNREGA has ensured employment generation for the marginalized poor people, along with attaining multiple other objectives such as creation of durable community assets, better organization and skill up-gradation of workers owing to its community participation. The first objective of this paper is to examine the participation of various socio-economic groups in MGNREGA in Rajasthan. The second objective of this paper is to examine the participation of the women’s in MGNREGA in rural areas. This study found that in the both lower caste people participated more intensively.