MNREGA has completed 20 years. Jean Drèze and Rahul R. initiate some reflection on the programme’s achievements, failures and future.
A Short History of MNREGA: 20 Years in Ten Charts - The Wire
MNREGA has shown the viability and sustainability of a rural employment guarantee Act in a poor country. What is yet to be demonstrated is the feasibility of employment guarantee itself – not the same thing, since ground realities often depart from the intention of the Act. The experience so far is an important step towards a practical realisation of the right to work on demand, but there is still a long way to go.
04/08/2025