Full form, core objectives and legal rights
- Full title: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (enacted by the Parliament of India in 2005).
- Legal entitlement: Provides 100 days of wage employment per rural household per financial year on demand.
- Unemployment allowance: If work is not provided within 15 days of application, the applicant is legally entitled to a daily unemployment allowance.
- Gender inclusion: At least one-third of participating beneficiaries must be women, with equal statutory wages for men and women.
Permissible works and rural asset creation
MGNREGA works focus heavily on climate resilience, natural resource management, and rural water security. Major activities include digging farm ponds, building percolation tanks and check dams, renovating irrigation canals, land levelling, rural connectivity roads, and creating private farm assets like vermicompost pits, cattle sheds, and goat shelters for small and marginal farmers.
Job cards and wage payment system
- Job cards are issued free of cost by the local Gram Panchayat following household verification.
- Wages are notified state-wise each financial year by the Ministry of Rural Development.
- Wages are transferred electronically through the Aadhaar-based Payment System (ABPS) directly into workers' bank or post office accounts.
Official source
Check the latest rules, benefits and forms here. KisanPe is an independent platform and is not a government website.
Ministry of Rural Development (MGNREGA Portal) ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is the full form of MGNREGA?
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
How many days of statutory wage employment does MGNREGA provide?
A minimum of 100 days of wage employment per rural household in a financial year.
Where can rural workers apply for a new MGNREGA Job Card?
At their local Gram Panchayat office or online via the official national portal at nrega.nic.in.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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