ICT-Based Enhancement of Employment Schemes: A Case Study in Rural Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

70% of India's population resides in rural areas, where unemployment is a major concern. MGNREGA scheme was launched by the Indian government to tackle this issue. Implementation of this initiative on a massive scale covering over 120 million people has been hampered by challenges and drawbacks. This study explores the propriety of technological innovations toward tiding over the deficiencies and expansion of the program. This investigation entails a mixed method approach in a village of Uttarakhand, in North India, exploiting ethnography and Human Centered Design triangulated with statistical data. This deep and grounded understanding enables to propose an ICT-based solution design in the form of a work tracking system using GPS and a specific architecture to address the pain point in the implementation of MGNREGA in remote rural areas.