Abstract: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), enacted in 2005, is the world’s largest public works program, designed to enhance rural livelihood security through guaranteed wage employment. Despite its scale and intent, recent evidence raises critical questions about how effectively the scheme reaches the poorest households and states that need it most. Drawing on state-representative survey data (NSS 66th and 77th Rounds) and district-level administrative data (2019–2022), the study highlights wide disparities in access and utilization. It finds that poorer states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Odisha benefit significantly less compared to better-off southern and North-Eastern states. Moreover, trends over the past decade reveal a worrying decline in access for the poorest households, with richer households in some states reporting unexpectedly high participation. The presentation will discuss these findings and explore policy options to strengthen targeting, ensure equity, and realign resources toward the most vulnerable populations.
Speaker Bio-sketch: Dr Sekhar Bonu is a former Director General of the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog, where he served from April 2019 to June 2022. At DMEO, he led efforts to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and monitoring of national development programs. Prior to this, he worked at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila from 2004 to 2019, focusing on health systems, urban infrastructure, and regional cooperation in South Asia.
A 1987-batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Dr Bonu held senior leadership roles in Rajasthan between 1987 and 2003. Dr Bonu holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder. His research interests span state capacity building, service delivery, social development, and outcomes measurement. Currently, Dr Bonu engages in research, advisory work, and public policy discussions, drawing on his diverse career across government, international development, and academia.