Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
Background And Spirit of the Scheme
Imagine a village family with no land, no stable income, and no alternative livelihood. Can the government ensure them some minimum earning through dignified work — as a right, not as charity?
This is what MGNREGA does.
✅ It makes the “right to work” a legal entitlement, not just a policy promise.
Enacted in 2005, this Act is a landmark social security legislation, especially for rural India.
Objective of MGNREGA
Let’s put it in a single sentence:
“To provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every rural household whose adult members (18 years or above) voluntarily come forward to do unskilled manual work.”
This isn’t about giving jobs to everyone, but to those who are ready to work.
TYPE AND BENEFICIARY
- 📌 Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme
→ Meaning: Centre provides bulk of the funding, but states also contribute. - 👨👩👧👦 Beneficiaries: Every adult member (18+) of a registered rural household.
SALIENT FEATURES (Key Pillars of MGNREGA)
A. Coverage
- Applicable across rural India (except fully urban districts).
B. Funding Pattern
- Unskilled Labour Cost: 💯% by Centre
- Material Cost: 75% Centre + 25% State
This balance ensures joint responsibility while keeping financial load on states manageable.
C. Demand-Driven & People-Centered
Unlike many schemes, MGNREGA is not supply-driven.
Work is given on demand, i.e., when people apply for work, the government must respond.
🔹 Employment Guarantee
- 100 days of work/year per household.
- If not provided work within 15 days of demand →
✅ Unemployment allowance must be paid.
🔹 Extra Work Provision:
- 50 additional days in case of:
- Drought/natural calamities
- Forest-dwelling ST households without private land (except land granted under FRA, 2006)
🔹 States’ Flexibility:
States may extend the number of workdays from their own funds if needed.
D. Worker Benefits
- 🧍♀️ At least 1/3rd of workers must be women.
- 💵 Equal wages for men and women based on work done (rates notified annually by MoRD).
- 🧾 Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) → Wages go straight into worker’s account, within 15 days.
- ⚠️ Accident compensation for death or disability during work.
E. Non-Negotiable Provisions (Cannot be violated)
- 🧱 60:40 ratio between wage and material cost at the Gram Panchayat level.
- 🚫 No contractors or machines allowed (except under specific permitted conditions).
This ensures manual, local employment.
IMPLEMENTATION & MONITORING
🔸 Job Card System
- Households must register at their Gram Panchayat to get a Job Card.
- Job Cards are essential for applying and tracking work.
🔸 Geo-tagging of Assets
- All public assets created under MGNREGA (like ponds, roads) are geo-tagged using GeoMGNREGA platform, jointly developed with:
- ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation)
- NIC (National Informatics Centre)
Physical, financial, and programmatic progress under MGNREGA across all Indian states can be tracked here.
🔸 Social Audit
- Gram Sabha (village assembly) conducts social audits → to ensure transparency and accountability in how funds are used and work is done.
WORKPLACE ENTITLEMENTS FOR WAGE SEEKERS
While the scheme provides employment, it also ensures dignity and safety at the workplace.
Workers are entitled to:
Entitlement | Details |
💧 Safe Drinking Water | At the worksite |
🧍♂️ Resting Facilities | Shade/shelter for rest |
🩺 First Aid | Box with basic medicines |
👩👧 Child Care | For children <5 yrs (if minimum 5 children of working women present) |
This reflects the rights-based, humane approach of the scheme.
SIGNIFICANCE OF MGNREGA
- World’s largest public works programme.
- Acts as social safety net during rural distress.
- Helps in poverty alleviation, women empowerment, and rural asset creation.
- Empowers Gram Sabhas and Panchayats by giving them real authority in planning and execution.
🔚 Final Thought
“MGNREGA is not a scheme of charity. It is a legal commitment of the Indian state to its rural citizens — that livelihood security is a right, and dignity of labour is non-negotiable.”