Determinants and Persistence of Benefits from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: Panel Data Analysis for Rajasthan, India

32 Pages Posted: 9 Apr 2013

See all articles by Raghbendra Jha

Raghbendra Jha

Australian National University (ANU) - Australia South Asia Research Centre (ASARC); Crawford School of Public Policy

Raghav Gaiha

University of Delhi - Department of Economics; Australian National University (ANU)

Manoj K. Pandey

Australian National University (ANU)

Shylashri Shankar

Center for Policy Research

Date Written: April 7, 2013

Abstract

India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) has been hailed as one of the country’s most creative social initiatives. Since the program was begun only recently (in 2004-05) there is a need to assess household access to this program and persistence of benefits to households not just in one year but over time. Using a unique panel data set for 2007-08 and 2009-10 for the Indian state of Rajasthan, this paper analyzes the transitions into and out of the NREGS. It models the impact of such transitions on earnings of workers as well the determinants of such transitions. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study of this kind. Several policy conclusions are advanced.

Keywords: National Rural Employment Guarantee, panel data, labor earnings

JEL Classification: C33, H53, J68, J80, O12

Suggested Citation

Jha, Raghbendra and Gaiha, Raghav and Pandey, Manoj Kumar and Shankar, Shylashri, Determinants and Persistence of Benefits from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: Panel Data Analysis for Rajasthan, India (April 7, 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2246528 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2246528

Raghbendra Jha (Contact Author)

Australian National University (ANU) - Australia South Asia Research Centre (ASARC) ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia
+61 2 6125 2683 (Phone)
+61 2 6125 0443 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://crawford.anu.edu.au/crawford_people/content/staff/acde/rjha.php

Crawford School of Public Policy

ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
J.G. Crawford Building, #132, Lennox Crossing
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200
Australia

Raghav Gaiha

University of Delhi - Department of Economics ( email )

Delhi-110007
India

Australian National University (ANU) ( email )

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Australia

Manoj Kumar Pandey

Australian National University (ANU) ( email )

Development Policy Centre
Crawford School of Public Policy
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Australia

Shylashri Shankar

Center for Policy Research ( email )

Dharma Marg
Chanakyapuri
New Delhi, 110022
India

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