Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

8 min read • Posted on 30 Aug 2024

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) is India's landmark social welfare initiative to eradicate poverty and unemployment in rural areas. Enacted in 2005, it guarantees a minimum of 100 days of wage employment per year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

The MNREGAhas played a vital role in transforming the lives of millions of people by providing employment opportunities, enhancing livelihoods and empowering rural communities. This comprehensive article explores important aspects of MNREGA: objectives, implementation, impact, challenges and prospects.

What is MGNREGA or Mahatma Gandhi NREGA?

The MNREGA, or Mahatma Gandhi NREGA,is a scheme in which the government provides guaranteed minimum employment to the rural population of India. MNREGA scheme helps poor people to get work and earn livelihood to meet the needs of their family.

Under the MNREGA or NREGA scheme,every rural family in India should be provided at least 100 days of paid work in a year. Therefore, MNREGA scheme provides the right to work and earn livelihood to rural families. Such families can demand work from the government and then get paid for their work.

How Does MGNREGA or Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Work?

MNREGA, also known as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, operates through a well-defined process to ensure effective implementation of the programme. MNREGA is a demand-driven programme, which means that work is provided to families based on their request and availability of funds.

The scheme aims to provide a minimum of 100 days of wage employment annually to eligible rural households, giving priority to the marginalized sections of the society such as Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). Here is an overview of how MGNREGA works:

Registration and Job Demand:Eligible families register with the local Gram Panchayat and submit a job demand application, specifying the type of work they wish to do.
Job Allocation and Worksite Planning:In consultation with villagers and local authorities, the Gram Panchayat identifies suitable projects and allocates work to registered families.
Wage Payment and Social Audit:Wages are paid directly into the workers' bank accounts within 15 days of work completion. Social audit is conducted to ensure transparency and accountability in the utilization of funds.

Objectives of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

Below are the Objectives of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA):

Create employment for unskilled physical labour for at least 100 days.
Panchayat Raj Institutional Strengthening
Proactively promoting social inclusion
Empowering women
Ensuring livelihood security

Eligibility Criteria for Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Scheme

MNREGA applies to rural areas of all Indian states. Its administration is in the hands of the Central Government. The eligibility criteria of the NREGA scheme are as follows:

Applicant should be an Indian citizen
Applicant should have an age of more than 18 years
Applicant should be ready to do unskilled work

Entitlements to Eligible Rural Individuals

Legal rights are given to eligible persons who enroll under MNREGA scheme in rural areas. These rights ensure that such persons get decent jobs and minimum wages for their labour. The rights allowed under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme are as follows:

Right to a Job Card
Right to Demand and receive work within 15 Days
Right to Unemployment allowance
Right to Plan and Prepare a Shelf of Projects
Right to Obtain Work within a radius of 5 Km
Right to Worksite Facilities
Right to Notified Wage Rate
Right to receive wage within 15 Days
Right to Time-Bound Redress of Grievance
Right to Conduct Concurrent Social Audits of all MGNREGA expenses

Coverage Under MNREGA

The MNREGA or Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act scheme covers various activities under which a person can seek employment. The Union Ministry of Rural Development specifies these activities and includes the following:

Rural sanitation projects
Agricultural and allied activities
Watershed works
Livestock related Works
Irrigation and Flood management works
Rural drinking water projects
Fisheries and coastal areas related works
Construction of Anganwadi centres, etc

What is the NREGA Job Card?

An NREGA Job Card, also known as an NREGA JC, is an official document issued by the local Gram Panchayat to individuals who have registered under the NREGA scheme. It is an identification card and contains important information such as the NREGA registration number and applicants' details. The NREGA job card acts as documentary evidence of a person's eligibility and allows individuals living in rural households to apply for work through the local Gram Panchayat. Additionally, the card serves as proof of identity and can be conveniently used for Know Your Customer (KYC) purposes at banks and post offices, which is necessary for opening bank accounts.

How to Apply for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) Job Card?

To get NREGA job card under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme, persons of 18 years of age or above can register themselves and apply. Applicants should submit their registration application to the Gram Panchayat of their rural area any time throughout the year. Specific documents from a predetermined list will be required during the application process. These documents include:

Photo of the applicant
Name, age and gender
Village name
Gram Panchayat name
Block name
Category of the applicant
Signature or Thumb impression of the applicant

The Verification of documents will be done within 15 days of application submission. Once the verification is done, the Gram Panchayat will issue NREGA job cards to the eligible persons. The NREGA job card is valid for five years, after which it must be renewed with the Gram Panchayat.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Despite its many achievements, MGNREGA faces several challenges that require attention and continuous improvement:

Delayed Wage Payments:Timely payment of wages remains a persistent challenge, and delayed payments can demotivate workers and affect their livelihoods.
Leakages and Corruption:There have been cases of corruption and leakages in the utilization of funds, which requires strict monitoring mechanisms and transparency measures.
Limited Skill Development:The MNREGA mainly focuses on unskilled manual labour, and there is a need to increase skill development opportunities to enable workers to access better job prospects.

Benefits of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) provides many benefits to rural communities in India. Some of the major benefits of MNREGA scheme are as follows:

Employment Opportunities:MNREGA guarantees a minimum of 100 days of wage employment per year to rural households, providing a reliable source of income and reducing unemployment.
Poverty Alleviation:By providing employment and income support, MNREGA helps reduce poverty and improve the livelihoods of rural families.
Asset Creation: MNREGA emphasizes the creation of durable community assets such as roads, water conservation structures and irrigation facilities, which contribute to long-term development and infrastructure improvements.
Women Empowerment:The scheme promotes women's participation in rural employment, empowers them economically and socially and reduces gender inequalities.
Social Inclusion:MNREGA targets marginalized sections of the society, including Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), promoting social inclusion and reducing socio-economic disparities.
Environmental Conservation:MNREGA encourages activities like afforestation, soil and water conservation and renewable energy promotion, contributing to environmental sustainability and natural resource management.
Skill Development:The scheme provides an opportunity to unskilled workers to gain experience and develop new skills, enhancing their employability and future prospects.
Transparency and Accountability:MNREGA incorporates social audit and grievance redressal mechanisms to ensure transparency, accountability and effective utilization of funds.
Rural Infrastructure Development:Through the creation of rural infrastructure assets, MNREGA improves connectivity, access to services and overall development in rural areas.
Seasonal Employment Stabilization:MNREGA reduces the vulnerability of rural workers to seasonal unemployment and provides a stable income throughout the year.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) Payment Process

The NREGA scheme payment process is quick and straightforward. Once the payment is calculated, the payment will be transferred to the beneficiary's bank account. In some cases, if the beneficiary does not have a bank account, they can easily open an account with the help of NREGA job card. Sometimes, the Gram Panchayat may also make payments in cash, but this may happen only if there are very few banks or post offices in a particular area.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) APP

The NREGA app helps users to check details and latest updates about MNREGA scheme in their Gram Panchayat. You can check the details given below through the app:

Details about work in gram panchayat
Details of work under the MGNREGA scheme
Total payout made by each gram panchayat (by the government)
New work details
New scheme details

Conclusion

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) is a transformative scheme that has significantly benefited rural communities in India. By providing employment opportunities, poverty alleviation, wealth creation and empowering the marginalized sections of the society, MNREGA has played an important role in improving the livelihood and welfare of rural families. The scheme's focus on social inclusion, environmental protection, skill development and rural infrastructure development has contributed to sustainable development and inclusive growth. As India strives for rural development and poverty alleviation, MNREGA is a powerful tool to achieve these objectives and create a more equitable and prosperous society.