This volume attempts to provide a deeper understanding of the performance of the MGNREGA by bringing together a range of empirical studies exploring the multiple implications of the programme across 12 states. It successfully highlights distinct development and governance issues, socio-economic conditions and nature of institutions across various states that have influenced the implementation and performance of the programme. This compendium of empirically grounded research papers by over 25 researchers, who have conducted research on the MGNREGA since its inception, provides insights into state-level variations of the programme, its implication on rural transformation process in India and its envisioned future. From this work, we draw new information and insights into the multidimensional impacts, including economic and social impacts, of MGNREGA across spatial settings––from Kerala to Tripura, contributing to the otherwise scant literature on the programme’s impact across geographic locations. The findings from these works provide insights into the major limitations of the programme and justify some of the restructuring processes currently being carried out by various government agencies to further improve the effectiveness of the programme.