Evaluating The Efficacy of The Institutions and Methods Used to Educate the Public About the Issue of Job Cards, Employment, And Registration in Baramulla District

The present research offers a comprehensive insight into the significance of rural areas in India’s development, focusing on the potential of rural India and the challenges faced by urban areas due to migration, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. It establishes the importance of rural regions as safety nets and showcases the rise of individuals from these areas in various fields. It delves into the definition of rural areas, their economic activities, and classifications by different organizations, while presenting historical data on poverty, unemployment, and the contribution of rural areas to India's GDP. The essence of rural development is detailed, including provision of basic necessities, respect for individuals, and sustainable employment, keeping in mind the agriculture-dependent nature of rural India. This introduction chapter further explores a plethora of government programs aimed at rural development. These include initiatives such as the Small Farmers Development Agencies (SFDA), Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), the Twenty Point Program (TPP), and the Food for Work Program (FWP), all of which collectively address economic empowerment, infrastructure development, and skill enhancement in rural areas. Historical programs such as the Rural Manpower Program and the High-Yielding Variety Program (HYVP) are also discussed.The introduction chapter specifically highlights the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as a landmark initiative providing wage employment to rural households. This initiative is scrutinized closely, with focus on its features like muster rolls, worksite facilities, wage rates, and social audits.The research plan is structured meticulously with well-defined objectives and hypotheses concentrated on evaluating the impact of the MGNREGA program in


Data Collection
Primary data is collected through structured questionnaires administered to a diverse group of MGNREGA beneficiaries, including men and women of varying ages, marital statuses, and educational backgrounds. In addition, semi-structured interviews with randomly chosen beneficiaries are conducted to gather in-depth insights.Secondary data is collected from various sources, including the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India reports, MGNREGA's website, and other relevant publications.

Assessing the performance at the state level
Performance at the state level is a crucial aspect of the employment and registration process. It reflects the efficiency and effectiveness of the program in reaching and serving its target population. The performance can be evaluated by various metrics such as the number of households registered for job cards, the number of job cards issued, employment demanded, employment offered, and the total person days generated. These metrics provide valuable insights into the program's impact and the areas where improvement is needed.

Household registered for Job card in J&K
The primary objective of Mgnrega is to provide employment that is unachievable if the beneficiaries do not ask for the work. Applied Job cards or Registration represents the willingness and need of rural people. The registration process is conducted by the Gram Panchayat. People can fill up a form, register with a blank page or inform verbally to the Panchayat. The increasing demand for guaranteed employment in the state of J&K is shown in Figure2

Employment Demanded by Household
After applying for the Job Cards and eventually being issued one, this record helps us to understand how many households demanded work after getting registered. The status of Employment demanded by households in J&k is shown in Figure2.3. It can be seen there is a vast difference between the number of HH registered and the demand for employment by HH. Everyone who registers is guaranteed 100 days of work (skilled or unskilled).

Figure2.3 Employment demanded by household in J&k
Figure2.3 shows that here is a vast difference between the number of HH-issued JC and the number of HH-demanded employment. This shows many people, in spite of having a JC, never even get to demand the work. In the year 2020-21, we see the largest number of HH offered with employment in the last six years, and it reached 8,08,258 (the first time passing the 80,000 mark, and it got more than double in just six years starting from 2014). The next year, i.e., 2021-22, the numbers were marginally lower than the current year, yet it's the second most number of HH offered employment since 2014, recorded at 7,65,732. From 2015 to 2022, the employment offered rose by 100.8%.

Numberof Job Cards Registered in Baramulla District
The number of job cards registered by households in the district of Baramulla is shown in Figure2.6.    Overall, the results indicate that there is a fluctuation in the registration and issuance of job cards, a gap between registration and employment demand, and variable employment opportunities under MGNREGA in Jammu and Kashmir. Furthermore, there is dissatisfaction with the registration process, variable participation in Gram Sabha meetings, and issues with muster roll maintenance. These findings suggest that there is room for improvement in the functioning of institutions and methods employed in educating the public and facilitating the MGNREGA scheme at the ground level.It is evident that the level of awareness among beneficiaries varies. While some are well informed about MGNREGA, others are less aware of its provisions and benefits. The disparities in awareness levels can be attributed to various factors such as the effectiveness of communication channels, literacy rates, and the socioeconomic status of beneficiaries. Tailoring information dissemination methods and utilizing communitybased approaches to raise awareness can be beneficial. The study suggests that authorities need to undertake more targeted initiatives for awareness generation among the rural populace.