Evaluating the Effectiveness of MGNREGA in Haryana and Rajasthan: A Comparative Study

Abstract

On February 2^nd, 2006, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was put into effect. It was the first act of its type anywhere in the world to grant the right to labour to about two thirds of the people as a means of economic security. It has been delivered on a staggeringly large scale, involving roughly 1/ 10th of the world's population. It was the second in a line of right-based policies that the Indian government has implemented during the past ten years. The MGNREGA, a self-targeting initiative, aims to increase outreach to the underprivileged and disadvantaged sections of society by supporting their efforts to achieve economic and financial inclusion. The present paper is devoted to assessing the success of the MGNREGA in Rajasthan and Haryana, two Indian states.