The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is an important milestone and mechanism, the manifestations of which help us in reviewing crucial issues regarding the impact of development interventions in Indian rural ecosystems. This commentary by Shailly Kedia, Anandajit Goswami and Shilpi Kapur, from the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi , India , revisits manifestations of such large-scale government interventions to discuss some cross-cutting issues and opportunities pertaining farm labour, multiplier effects and human capital. Government emphasis needs to continue focus on need of the hour, which is that of effectiveness and efficiency in public delivery by consolidation and convergence of government programmes that could be vital in synchronizing livelihood security and rural agriculture.