The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) aims to enhance livelihood security in rural India by guaranteeing at least 100 days of wage employment annually to rural households willing to perform unskilled manual work. The scheme emphasizes inclusion, with at least one-third of beneficiaries being women, and mandates timely wage payments with legal entitlements for unemployment allowances if work is not provided within 15 days of demand. MGNREGA supports sustainable rural development through asset creation such as water conservation, drought proofing, irrigation, and rural infrastructure. The Act strengthens decentralized planning through Panchayati Raj Institutions and encourages transparency via social audits.
Click to View MoreKarnataka’s Jala Sanjeevini programme tackles drought by combining GIS mapping with community inputs through a mobile app. Using MGNREGA funds, it builds targeted water structures that recharge groundwater, improve soil moisture, and strengthen rural resilience—offering a scalable conservation model.
Click to View MoreThe Supreme Court’s order restoring MGNREGS funding to West Bengal reinforces the right to work and judicial oversight in welfare delivery. Arising from fiscal federalism tensions, it stresses the need for stronger social audits and cooperative Centre-State relations to safeguard rural livelihoods and accountability.
Click to View MoreThe National Initiative on Water Security under MGNREGA mandates fund allocation by groundwater stress, institutionalizing rainwater harvesting and recharge. It provides rural employment, durable assets, women’s empowerment, climate resilience, and mission synergy, fostering sustainable livelihoods and ensuring a water-secure future for India.
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