The articles in the volume view the employment-generating programmes in India in the context of rural poverty and empowerment of the poor. They focus on the conception and execution of the programme Mahatma Gandhi Nation al Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the largest public works employment project in the world that employed 55 million households in the year 2010-2011. They scrutinise the nature of the scheme, its aim of inclusion of all groups and the challenges it faces. They showcase its attempts at employment generation by referring to its implementation in the states of India and in specific cities. They delve into its impact on economic empowerment of women especially in rural areas, labour market outcomes, eradication of poverty and rural renewal.