Critically analyze the success and failures of MGNREGA while keeping in foci various aspects of rural development.

MGNREG Act 2005 was enacted to provide right to work. The Act, guaranteed a minimum 100 days of employment out of the 365 days in a year to every willing household, within 15 days of making such a requisition.
Positive effects of the Scheme:
a) In a minute cost it has created employment for large population in rural areas who are mostly landless.
b) It has provided an impetus to inclusive development with Women and Dalit forming a large section of beneficiary. women account for more than 50% beneficiaries.
c)MGNREGA has boosted rural demand for goods and services.
d)It has helped contain distress rural migration to urban areas.
e) Assets like farm pond etc are being constructed using workers under the scheme.
Failures of the Scheme:
a)Assets created under the scheme are not durable and of poor quality thus does not add much to rural infrastructure.
b)Scheme has failed to promote Skill development among the beneficiaries, thus they continue to remain low skilled.
c)Labour wages has been raised following MGNREGA this leading to increasing input cost for agriculture.
The Scheme has been beneficial for those extremely deprived in rural areas but improvement is required in asset creation, linking skilling with the scheme for better rural development.

Topics: GS-II: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in Various Sectors