UPSC CSE Prelims 2011
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The scheme is universal in its application across rural areas, meaning eligibility is not restricted based on caste, income status (such as Below Poverty Line), or community affiliation. Any adult member of a rural household is eligible, provided they are willing to undertake the work.
Options (a), (b), and (c) incorrectly limit the eligibility criteria for MGNREGA. The Act is not restricted to specific categories such as Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe households, Below Poverty Line (BPL) households, or households of all backward communities. The fundamental principle of MGNREGA is its universal applicability to any rural household willing to undertake unskilled manual labour, without discrimination based on caste, income, or community.