SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT SCHEME - MGNREGA: A REVIEW ON WEST BENGAL STATE.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Indian Government Scheme which entitles rural households to 100 days of casual employment on public works at the statutory minimum wage, contains special provisions to ensure full participation of women. In this paper, the status of women participation and their performance in MGNREGA in India, particularly in the state of West Bengal, has been discussed. The paper aims at equality of women in the provisions like priority of women participation in one third ratio of the total workers and ensuring equal wage rate in MGNREGA. The purpose of this paper is also to study, how women have empowered themselves with an innovative MGNREGA Program, particularly the women from socially and economically marginalized groups which ultimately leads to sustainable development of society as a whole. Even though globalization has changed every sphere of life, still issues like gender disparities, risk, vulnerability and challenges faced by women are prevalent in society. The active participation of women through woman empowerment will improve the GDP of the country and establish a new and developed economy.