Which of the following is a feature of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) ?

Key Points

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• The act aims to enhance the livelihood security of people in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every household.
• It is a demand-driven scheme where the provision of work is to be made available on demand.
• MGNREGA also aims to create durable assets (such as roads, canals, ponds, and wells).
• The scheme plays a significant role in the empowerment of marginalized communities and the reduction of rural-urban migration.

Additional Information

• MGNREGA was enacted on August 25, 2005.
• The act is funded by the central government and implemented by the state governments.
• Wages are to be paid according to the minimum wages specified for agricultural laborers in the state under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
• If work is not provided within 15 days of applying, applicants are entitled to an unemployment allowance.
• MGNREGA is considered a pivotal piece of legislation in India's social security and labor laws.