Among the following who are eligible to benefit from the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act”?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2011 Prelims]
(a) Adult members of only the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households
(b) Adult members of below poverty line (BPL) households
(c) Adult members of house holds of all backward communities
(d) Adult members of any household
Answer: (d)
Explanation:
- The Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act, passed in September 2005, is a social security measure that ensures the “right to work.”
- It legally guarantees 100 days of employment per financial year to adult members of rural households who are willing to engage in unskilled manual work for public projects at the minimum wage.
- The implementation of this scheme is monitored by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) in collaboration with state governments.
- The following are the eligibility criteria for receiving the benefits under the MGNREGA scheme:
- Must be a Citizen of India.
- Any citizen above 18 years of age at the time of application.
- The applicant must be part of a rural household.
- Applicants must volunteer for unskilled labor work.
