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Employment Guarantee Scheme and Child Health Outcome: Evidence from MGNREGA Using Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Several studies have examined the effect of employment guarantee schemes on various aspects of participants’ welfare including its role as social safety net. However, the literature is sparse in regards to its effect on children’s health outcomes, as well as the gender discrimination aspect of it. Using survey data from the IHDS 2012, this paper aims to fill these gaps in the literature by analyzing the role of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in influencing children’s health outcomes as proxied by their height and weight. The analysis employs the quasi-experimental technique of Propensity Score Matching to provide causal interpretations. The results suggest that there is evidence, especially for female children, that household participation in NREGA has beneficial impact on health outcomes.