The objective of this paper is to look at the financial and economic aspects of the NREGA. It will be studying the implications for the rural economy as a result of the minimum wage and employment instituted by the Act. Also, the greater bargaining power of the rural workforce and its implications on the job-markets will be looked at.

This paper documents the main findings of a study on food insecurity and vulnerability in the Indian state of Orissa in support of promoting interventions for food security and livelihoods at state level. The paper analyses the main characteristics and causes of food insecurity and vulnerability. It seeks to identify who are vulnerable and food insecure and where they are, why they risk food insecurity and what options exist to reduce their vulnerability. Using the sustainable livelihoods framework and collecting qualitative and quantitative data from four selected districts, the paper looks at six livelihood groups, notably marginal and small scale farming households, labouring rural households, mining worker households, rural artisan households, fishing households and scheduled tribal households.