What Next for MGNREGA?

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a major policy undertaken by the Indian government. It is a unique and an innovative program. It is expected that the program will sustain for several years. However, whether MGNREGA will continue to yield the same positive benefits that it brought forth in the first three years of its implementation is a vital question that needs to be examined. The paper attempts to respond to this critical issue by portraying various aspects of MGNREGA's advancement. The paper begins by explicating the details of the Act, its innovative characteristics, and the factors that support its future viability. Next, opportunities for policy actions are scrutinized and presented. Finally, the paper proposes a mechanism for identifying new and relevant projects. This mechanism includes novel information architecture and a decentralized method of project identification and allocation. The paper is a timely contribution to social and policy science disciplines. It is a contribution because it paves the way for a solution to a historically unsolved socio-economic evil.