RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS 2016-17 National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India Rajendranagar, Hyderabad – 500 030 National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj December, 2020 ISBN: 978-81-944719-9-8 Published by: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND PANCHAYATI RAJ (Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India) Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500030, India nirdpr.org.in Alka Upadhyaya, IAS Director General National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Hyderabad FOREWORD National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj takes up research studies across the country in order to achieve a set of objectives such as that of gaining first-hand insights about the requirements of rural population, process of rural transformation, implementation of flagship programmes of Government of India and assessing the impact of various schemes. These studies contribute significantly to knowledge creation on critical aspects pertaining to rural development, poverty alleviation, livelihood promotion, policy formulation, etc. The research findings provide a better understanding of the ground realities and give a clear picture of the prevailing situation as well. In order to facilitate wider dissemination of the findings of the studies, NIRDPR is bringing out the annual publication of Research Highlights. With immense pleasure, I am presenting the Research Highlights for the year 2016-17. These studies are mainly related to social audit, social accountability, livelihoods, women empowerment, rural infrastructure, good governance and health & sanitation. The findings of these studies will be useful for policy makers, academicians and rural development functionaries to understand the ground realities. (Alka Upadhyaya) S. No. Study Title Study Team Page No. 1 Study on compliance of Mahatma Gandhi National Dr. C. Dheeraja 01 Rural Employment Audit of Scheme Rules 2011 2 Social Accountability: Application of Citizen Report Dr. C. Dheeraja 05 Card Method in ICDS Programme Dr. K. Prabhakar 3 Compendium of Case Studies on Best Practices and Dr. Sonal Mobar Roy 10 Case-teaching material in Rural Development 4 Impact Assessment of Andhra Pradesh Non- Dr. G. Rajani Kanth 13 Governmental Organizations Alliance (APNA) Dr. S. V. Rangacharyulu Er. H. Kurma Rao Dr. P. Anuradha 5 Mahatma Gandhi NREGS Assets: Its Dr. G. Rajani Kanth 19 Comprehensive Assessment Dr. P. Anuradha 6 Demand Capturing and facilitating access to Dr. Digambar Abaji 24 potential wage employment under Mahatma Gandhi Chimankar NREGS: An exploratory research in Nalgonda Dr. G. Rajani Kanth district, Telangana 7 Horticulture Schemes under Mahatma Gandhi Dr. G. Rajani Kanth 27 National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Dr. S. V. Rangacharyulu (MGNREGS) in Telangana 8 Impact of MGNREGS on Socio-Economic Dr. G. Rajani Kanth 32 Conditions of Households Dr. S. V. Rangacharyulu Dr. P. Anuradha 9 Livelihood Analyasis of Vulnerable Groups Dr. P. Anuradha 36 (Differently Abled) under MGNREGS 10 Socio-Economic Evaluation of Self-Help Groups Dr. Pramod Chandra 39 for Women Empowerment (SEE of SHG for WE) Shri Alok Kushwaha Shri Ram Dheeraj Vaish (DDU-SIRD, UP) 11 Impact of Watershed Development Programme on Dr. Pramod Chandra 45 Socio-Economic Status and its impact on Shri Alok Kushwaha Livelihoods, Income Standards &Behavioural Shri Ram Dheeraj Vaish Aspects of Stakeholders (DDU-SIRD, UP) 12 Measuring Energy expenditure pathways, time use, Dr. Ch. Radhika Rani, 50 and food intakes in agricultural and rural livelihoods Dr. Nithya V. G. and using accelerometer devices University of Reading Team, United Kingdom 13 Sanitation Behaviour Assessment of Households in Dr. P. SivaRam 53 Gram Panchayats Declared as ODF Dr. R. Ramesh 14 Women representatives at grassroots (PRI) level: A Dr. S. N. Rao 59 Study in Select States 15 GIS Based Study of Existing Community Er. H. K. Solanki 68 Infrastructure and Optimum Requirements at Gram Dr. P. Kesava Rao Panchayat Level for Assessment of Gaps Using Participatory and Departmental Approach: A Case of Gram Panchayat Hantra, District Bharatpur, Rajasthan 16 Performance of Women Representatives Dr. Yagneswar Deb 73 at GP level – A Case Study in Hailakandi Shri Sanjeeb Kumar Sinha Development Block of Hailakandi district, Assam Shri Pinak Pratim Das (ETC, SIPRD, Hailakandi) 17 Comparative study between Annual land Shri Z. R. Thafala 80 Productivity of Shifting Cultivation and Nûl farming Dr. Lalhruaitluangi Sailo (seasonal farming at river bank) in KolasibDistrict, Shri Lalthanmawla Ralte Mizoram, India (SIRD&PR, Mizoram) 18 Impact of Rural Housing Programmes on Dr. Sanjit Kumar Swain 82 Infrastructural Development of Rural Poor- A Case Shri Amresh Jally Study of Kalahandi District of Odisha (ETC, Kalahandi, Odisha) 19 Social Impact of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS Shri Malsawmtluanga Fanai 87 Works: A Study on Sanitation Works in Shri Lalthanmawia Ralte, Bilkhawthlir Rural Development Block, Kolasib Dr. Margaret Lalbiakthangi District: Mizoram (SIRD&PR, Mizoram) 20 Study of Kapil Dhara sub scheme in MGNREGS Dr. Trilochan Singh 91 and its socio - economic impact on farmers (special (MGSIRD&PR, MP) reference to Shahdol and Umaria district) Madhya Pradesh 21 Traditional Rural Handicraft Activities: A Case Dr. Ratna Bhuyan 95 Study of Mask Making in Majuli and Bell and Brass Dr. R. M. Pant Metal Works in Sarthebari, Assam 22 Successful Women Micro Entrepreneurs from Rural Dr. Ratna Bhuyan 97 Areas of Assam Dr. R. M. Pant 23 Decentralised Good Governance: A Success Story Dr. R. M. Pant 99 of Two Gram Panchayats in Sikkim Dr. Ratna Bhuyan 24 Horticulture for Livelihood: A Study of Dr. R. M. Pant 101 DirangThembang Circles of West Kameng District Dr. Ratna Bhuyan of Arunachal Pradesh 25 A Case Study of Integrated Planning under Dr. Mukesh Kumar 103 Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) of Manipur Shrivastava 26 A Case Study on Communitisation of Rural Dr. Mukesh Kumar 114 Development and Public Services in Nagaland Shrivastava 27 Generation of Rural Roads Geodatabase compatible Dr. N. S. R. Prasad, 123 with C-DAC Specifications and Data Standards”: A Shri A. Simhachalam case of Dakhin Bhola Gaon Panchayat of Rani Dr. K. Haloi Block, Kamrup district, Assam State 28 A Study on Socio-Economic Profile and Dr. Vivek Kumar 125 Assessment of Knowledge Level and Training Shri Ram Bahal Needs of Dairy Farmers of Pratapgarh District Dr. Nisar Ahmad Shri Radharaman Prasad (RIRD, Pratapgarh, U.P.) 29 An Analysis of Savings and Credit Pattern among Dr. Jibini V Kurien 129 the Women Workers in Mahatma Gandhi NREGS Dr. Oommen John – Alappuzha and Kollam Districts Ms. Sherin Chacko Shri Vinod Kumar C. (KILA, Kerala) 30 Sanitation Behaviour – A Study amongst the Dr. Jibini V Kurien 135 Fishermen Community of Alappuzha and Dr. Oommen John Thiruvananthapuram districts of Kerala Ms. Sherin Chacko Shri Vinod Kumar C. (KILA, Kerala) 31 Health Risk of Inadequate Sanitation: A Study from Dr. Sudakhina Mitra 141 Tripura (SIPARD, Tripura) Research Highlights 2016-2017 Study on Compliance of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Audit of Scheme Rules - 2011 Dr. C. Dheeraja, Associate Professor & Head i/c, CSA Introduction Social Audit is an audit of Scheme/Programme that is conducted jointly by the government functionaries and the people, especially by those people, who were affected by or are the intended beneficiaries of such scheme. Section 17 of the NREGA mandates that regular social audits should be conducted in the Gram Sabhas at least once in every six months. To have a common understanding and uniform way of application of social audits in MGNREGS across the states, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Audit of Scheme Rules 2011 were notified in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) of India. The rules have spelt out clearly who will facilitate social audits, the prerequisites for social audit, process of conducting the social audits, the roles and responsibilities of the officials at different levels and the actions to be taken and the cost of establishing the social audit units, etc. In this context the present study studied compliance of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Audit of Scheme Rules 2011 in all the 29 states. Objectives The Study was taken up with objectives like to assess the status of social audit units, their independence and functions and to analyse the challenges faced to adhere the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Audit of Scheme Rules 2011 in all the states. Methodology The study focused on the specific aspects like setting up of independent Social Audit Units, status of directors and governing bodies of Social Audit Units, notification of the calendar by the Social Audit Units, conduct of social audits in consonance with Audit of Scheme Rules 2011, recruitment of minimum personnel, submission of the quarterly report, Institutionalisation of monitoring mechanisms and the type of actions taken, awareness and transparency mechanisms followed, training of the social audit resource persons, preparation of formats, manuals, training materials, the roles and responsibilities of officials and social audit team, follow up actions of social audit-whether any recoveries, filing of criminal cases, disciplinary actions on the accused and timely disposal of the grievances, etc. 1 Research Highlights 2016-2017 In all the states the officials of implementing MGNREGS and staff of Social Audit Units were met and information on the adherence to social audit rules was