Who we are

 

We are a team of engineers, social workers and social scientists who are interested in improving public service delivery in India. We are inspired by India’s Right to Information movement and believe that transparency can go a long way in reducing corruption and improving accountability.

While technology is integral to our approach, we recognise that a transparency project cannot just be about transferring bits of information from one place to another. We have learned that providing actionable information is a hard task. It requires an understanding of concrete problems that people face in each context, a strategy on which issues could be reasonably tackled in a given context, and an assessment of what role information can play in a role in this social process.  Doing so requires us to combine technical imagination with a sound understanding of social and political complexities. Consequently, LibTech’s focus has been on combining a thorough presence on the ground with rigorous academic research – what we call ‘Action Research’.

February 2024 Data Point: Mass Jobcard Deletions in NREGA

Our February Data Point looks at the trend of jobcard deletions in NREGA. Read more here.

Recent Publications

MGNREGA Employment

This Report was prepared using data available in the public domain. The analysis is based on data from Five Financial Years: 2019-20 to 2023-24. In this report, we present the State level details of Employment generated, Wage Expenditure, NMMS and ABPS.
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Heavy Wait

The NREGA payment process consists of 2 Stages. After work is completed, a Funds Transfer Order (FTO) with worker details is digitally sent to the Central Government
by panchayat/block. This is called Stage 1 and it’s the state’s responsibility. The Central government then processes the FTOs and transfers wages directly to the workers’ accounts.

MGNREGA Employment

This Report was prepared using data available in the public domain. The analysis is based on data from Five Financial Years: 2019-20 to 2023-24. In this report, we present the National level details of Employment generated, Hardships and Deletions, Wage Payment delays.

Updates

We’re excited to share that our team member, Chakradhar Buddha, has authored an important book titled “Upadhi Hamilo Hakkula Sangatulu.” This collection of essays delves into the intricacies of MGNREGA in Telugu, offering valuable insights into Right to work.
A door to a housing scheme, tribals find hard to open, Chakradhar Buddha and Rahul Mukkera, The Hindu, 27 May 2024.
An inheritance tax will help reduce inequality, Advait Moharir and Rajendran Narayanan, The Hindu, 8 May 2024.
Runup to Interim Budget 2024: The minimum NREGA budget for FY 2024-25 must be Rs 2.71 lakh crore, Apurva Gupta and Laavanya Tamang, Down to Earth, 31 January 2024.
Recent EPW Commentary piece: From Aadhaar Mandate to Mass Jobcard Deletions: Unravelling the MGNREGA Story. Economic and Political Weekly, Vol.58 (38), 23 September 2023.  Chakradhar Buddha, Laavanya Tamang.