The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) introduced by the UPA Government will soon see the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) providing assistance in its implementation. The NREGS provides a legal guarantee for 100 days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage.

It is reported that apart from the IITs and the IIMs, many other universities and educational units have conceded lending support to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. An officer divulged, ‘The IITs may provide assistance for preparation of works manual and quality control guidelines for NREG.’ It was further informed that the IITs will give technical inputs for betterment in NREG works, apart from introducing a plan for work assimilation with other government projects.

The Indian Institute of Management, on the other hand, will assist in the creation of tools for programme assessment and monitoring, training and capacity building of programme officers and district programme coordinators.