Mahatma Gandhi national rural employment guarantee act (MGNREGA): A right based initiative towards alleviation through employment generation

Alleviation of poverty remains a major challenge before the government. In the Indian context rural development assumes greater significance as 72.22 percent(according to the 2001 census) of its pupulations still live rural areas. Most of the people living in rural areas draw their livelihood from agriculture allied sectors (60.41% of total work force), and poverty mostly persists here (25.7% in 2011-12). The most significant rural development initiative of the Eleventh Plan period was the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA).