This bibliography was prepared in early 2024 by Emilia Cooper with guidance from Jean Drèze and Pavlina Tcherneva. Requests for additions are welcome, please just send a line to edi@bard.edu with the relevant publication details. For official documents and statistics on India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, see nrega.nic.in.
Entries are listed in reverse chronological order (starting with the most recent). You can use the search and keywords facilities to narrow down the list. Click on a title to see the embedded abstract. Links to full text, where available, are provided below the abstract.
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Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Scheme-Geographical Distribution of Employment
Ezekiel, Hannan and Johann C Stuyt. (1990). Economic & Political Weekly.Abstract
If the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) genuinely meets the unmet needs of employment some concentration of EGS employment may be expected to occur, because it is unlikely that the unmet needs of employment are evenly distributed. This article looks at the geographical distribution of EGS employment in Maharashtra in order to examine to what extent the scheme has been responsive to the unmet employment needs reflected in the agro-ecological and other economic conditions effecting their employment opportunities relative to the growth of their labour force.
https://www.epw.in/journal/1990/26/review-agriculture-uncategorised/ma...
Implementation Quantitative -
Securing the Right to Work-Some Constitutional and Economic Aspects
Nauriya, Anil. (1990). Economic & Political Weekly.Abstract
While the new central government has done well to reiterate its commitment to the right to work, a deeper understanding is required of the immense constitutional implications of, and the economic underpinnings required for, securing this right.
https://www.epw.in/journal/1990/2/roots-specials/securing-right-work-s...
Politics Wages -
Employment Guarantee Scheme in Maharashtra
Bagchee, S. (1984). Economic & Political Weekly.Abstract
The Employment Quarantee Scheme in Maharashtra, which came into existence in 1972-73, b similar to the Rural Works Programme, the subsequent Pilot Intensive Rural Employment Programme and the Crash Scheme for Rural Employment. The EGS is however, the only programme that has been implemented intensively on a state-wide basis for such a long duration. Besides, it is unique as it recognises the right of the rural unemployed to get unskilled manual work on demand. It thus has a number of important lessons for employment generation and anti-poverty programmes as well as rural development in general. This paper examines the provisions of the Scheme and discusses some of the important issues involved in its planning and implementation which have a bearing on the realisation of its objectives.
https://www.epw.in/journal/1984/37/special-articles/employment-guarant...
Implementation Poverty -
Employment Guarantee Scheme and Food for Work Programme
Dandekar, Kumudini and Manju Sathe. (1980). Economic & Political Weekly.Abstract
The Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) generated an employment for 3.9 lakh person years in rural Maharashtra. Thus it provided employment to 10 per cent of the 41 lakhs of workers among the weaker sections of Maharashtra. The 32nd round of National Sample Survey (NSS) too indicates that EGS offered an employment of more than 3 lakhs person years. Thus the two independent estimates more or less agree. On an average, the EGS worker worked for 160 days a year for about Rs 3 a day. Wheat distribution on EGS, through the Food For Work (FFW) programme raised the wages to Rs 4 a day. In spite of EGS, however, 90 per cent of the households of EGS workers lived below the poverty line, To raise them above the poverty line, EGS workers would have to be provided work for 300 days, rather than the present 160 days or so, on a wage rate of Rs 4 a day. A husband and wife totally depending on such wages could earn Rs 2,400 a year maintaining only 1.3 dependents above the poverty line, since Rs 720 a year per capita were needed for the very minimum food needs. A wage rate of Rs 6 for 300 days done could help the couple to bear the present load of family of five, above poverty line. The Food for Work programme in 1978-79 helped to get an increase of 33 per cent and more in the EGS earnings of the workers and was considered the greatest attraction of EGS.
https://www.epw.in/journal/1980/15/special-articles/employment-guarant...
Poverty Quantitative Wages -
Employment Guarantee Scheme and Food for Work Programme-A Comment
Tilve, Shobha and Vidya Pitre. (1980). Economic & Political Weekly. -
Maharashtra’s Employment Guarantee Scheme
Abraham, Amrita. (1980). Economic & Political Weekly.Abstract
https://www.epw.in/journal/1980/32/our-correspondent-columns/maharasht...
Environmental Sustainability Wages -
Documentary: NREGA Reforms – Building Rural India
Jain, Shobhit & B.C., Pinky (Directors), Sahayog, Samaj Pragati (Producer). (). Culture Unplugged.Abstract
The NREGA promises the largest ever employment program in human history. This film takes you on a fascinating jounrey through space and time. It traces the historical roots of NREGA to the Great Depression of the 1920s. It brings to you myriad voices of the peopel of India’s remote rural hinterlands who speak of the distress that led to the enactment of NREGA, the problems facing the implementation of the program and their efforts to make it a success on the ground. Implemented well, the NREGA can regenerate the environment and create millions of sustainable livelihoods, thereby kick-starting a stagnant rural economy. The Film provides powerful visual evidence of the enormous potential of NREGA and outlines the reforms required to help realize this potential.
https://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/7585/NREGA-Reforms---Building-Ru...
Environmental Sustainability Implementation