Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, India has significantly advanced in implementing various schemes under the Ministry of Rural Development. These developments have led to progress and improvements in different areas, from rural employment to rural infrastructure and livelihoods.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005
MGNREGA is a program initiated as a social action that ensures “the right to work”. The Ministry of Rural Development oversees the implementation of this scheme in partnership with state governments. Its primary goal is to supply not less than one hundred days of guaranteed employment per financial year to every household in rural areas. This is achieved through unskilled manual labor, which results in the creation of productive assets such as farms, ponds, check dams, roads, and irrigation channels.
The Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat have the authority to approve and prioritize the works under MGNREGA. Furthermore, mandatory social audits lead to accountability and transparency. For the financial year 2021-22, the scheme offered work to 2.95 crore persons, completed 5.98 lakh assets, and generated 34.56 crore person-days.
Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)
Launched by the Ministry of Rural Development in June 2011, DAY-NRLM aims to eradicate rural poverty by promoting multiple livelihoods and improving access to financial services for rural poor households. It works by mobilizing community institutions through community professionals, organizing one female member from each rural poor household into Self Help Groups (SHGs), training and building their capacity, facilitating their micro-livelihoods plans, and helping them implement these plans through their institutions and banks. As part of its achievements, approximately Rs. 56 Crore was released to women SHGs in FY 2021 as compared to approximately Rs. 32 Crore during the same period in FY 2020.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
Launched on 25th December, 2000, PMGSY’s goal is to provide all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations. The scheme targets unconnected habitations of designated population size (500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, Deserts and Tribal Areas as per 2001 census) in order to uplift their socio-economic conditions. Over the last three years, the highest length of road has been completed under this scheme.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)
PMAY-G, previously known as Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), was launched on 1st April, 2016 to support “Housing for All” by 2022. The scheme assists rural individuals below the poverty line in constructing dwelling units and upgrading current unserviceable kutcha houses by providing a full grant. The beneficiaries include SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in action, ex servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces, disabled persons, and minorities. Beneficiaries are selected based on data from the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011. In FY 2021-22, the highest expenditure of Rs. 5854 Cr was recorded, which is double than that of FY 2020-21 for the same period.
