ABSTRACT
Improving the ease of living of the deprived is the objective of interventions for development and growth. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has been in the news recently. The Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi study on MGNREGS, headed by Dr Manoj Panda in 2017, found only 0.5% Natural Resource Management (NRM) assets to be unsatisfactory. The MGNREGS did become a lifeline during the Covid-19 period. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Yojana for selected districts where a large part of the migrant labour force had returned, was able to provide unskilled employment. The National Sample Survey (NSS) 76th Round July 2018–December 2018 provides details of households living in pucca dwelling units in rural areas. The extensive use of the social capital built through community resource persons, is lending a positive energy to every other programme for diversification of livelihoods and employment.
