Inclusive Development Through Guaranteed Employment: India’s MGNREGA Experiences

Preface
Contents
About the Author
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 MGNREGA for Inclusive Growth and Development
	1.1 Context
	1.2 Sluggish Agriculture and Rural Distress
	1.3 Exclusionary Growth Post-1990
	1.4 Employment-Centric Inclusive Growth in the Eleventh Plan
	1.5 Evolution of the Right to Work in India: From Welfare Nudge to Socialist Promise
		1.5.1 Right to Work in the Indian Constitution
		1.5.2 Welfare Nudge
		1.5.3 Socialists Promise
		1.5.4 Congress’s Tryst
	1.6 Public Works Programme in India
	1.7 MGNREGS and Its Distinct Features
	References
2 EGS for Growth with Justice
	2.1 Inclusive Growth and Development
	2.2 Growth with Justice
	2.3 Neo-liberalism, Growth and Exclusion
	2.4 Exclusionary Production Process
	2.5 EGS for Inclusive Growth and Development
	2.6 Productivity Effects
	2.7 Assets Effects
	2.8 Multiplier and Accelerator Effects
	2.9 Conclusion
	References
3 Design Salience Key to Objectives
	3.1 Coverage of Population
		3.1.1 Universal Versus Targeted
	3.2 Entitlement of Employment
	3.3 Seasonality of Employment
	3.4 Fixation of Wage Rate
	3.5 Types of Assets
	3.6 Method of Financing
		3.6.1 Additional Taxation
		3.6.2 Borrowing
		3.6.3 Deficit Financing
	3.7 Special Provisions
	3.8 Conclusion
	References
4 Seamless Reach Unto the Last
	4.1 Massive Coverage
	4.2 Inclusive Participation
		4.2.1 SC and ST Beneficiaries
		4.2.2 Lion’s Share of Women
	4.3 Observations from the Field
	4.4 Conclusion
	Annexure Tables
	References
5 Inclusive Development Experiences-I: Impacts on Poverty, Wages and Labour Market
	5.1 Recapitulating the Framework
	5.2 Employment and Income Effects
	5.3 Income Transfer Under MGNREGA
	5.4 MGNREGA’s Contribution to Household Income
	5.5 MGNREGA and Poverty Reduction
	5.6 Labour Market and Wage Effects
		5.6.1 Labour Market Characteristics
		5.6.2 Impact of MGNREGA on Wages
		5.6.3 Floor Wage Effect
		5.6.4 Distribution and Welfare Effects
	5.7 Investment in Human Capital
	5.8 Conclusion
	References
6 Inclusive Development Experiences-II: Assets Creation and Multiplier Effects
	6.1 Assets for Inclusive Development
	6.2 Agricultural Development Through MGNREGA Assets
	6.3 Promotion of Livestock, Fisheries and Horticulture
	6.4 Inclusive Development Through Individual Assets
	6.5 Transformational Impacts of Individual Assets
	6.6 Multiplier Effects
	6.7 Conclusion
	Annexure
		A Note on Assets Creation
		Types of Assets Created
		2006–07 to 2010–11
		2011–12 to 2013–14
		2014–15 to 2019–20
	References
7 Social Empowerment an Unintended Consequence
	7.1 Social Empowerment Through Guaranteed Employment
		7.1.1 Liberating Effects of Lean Season Employment
		7.1.2 Enhanced Bargaining Position
	7.2 Empowered Workers
	7.3 Changed Worksite Environment
	7.4 Workers Collectives
	7.5 Women’s Empowerment
		7.5.1 Paid Employment and Contribution to Household Income
		7.5.2 Control Over Wages and Expenditure
		7.5.3 Intra-household Decision-Making
		7.5.4 Financial Inclusion
		7.5.5 Community Participation
		7.5.6 Women in the Labour Market
	7.6 Conclusion
	References
8 Oceanic Potentialities and Himalayan Hurdles
	8.1 Recapitulating Achievements and Failures
	8.2 Noticeable Achievements
	8.3 Obvious Failures
	8.4 Oceanic Potentialities
		8.4.1 Poverty Reduction
		8.4.2 Labour Market Impact
	8.5 Last Mile Social Security
	8.6 Transformation Through Individual Assets
	8.7 Decentralized Development
	8.8 Himalayan Hurdles
		8.8.1 Demand-Based Employment Generation
	8.9 Sustained Flow of Fund
	8.10 Balancing the Two Wheels of Employment Generation and Assets Creation
	8.11 Unrelenting Attack
	8.12 Conclusion
	References
9 Conclusion: Optimizing Inclusive Growth and Development Effects
	Annexure Table
	Reference
Annexure Tables
Postscript-I
Cash Transfer versus Guaranteed Employment: UBI Versus EGS
In Defence of EGS
The Urgency of Social Security Floor in India
Conclusion
References
Postscript-II
Last Mile Social Security during COVID-19
References