Body Mass Index, participation, duration of work and earnings under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: Evidence from Rajasthan

Despite its evident importance relatively little is known about links between Body Mass Index (BMI) and participation in workfare programs, particularly in India. Using a unique data set for the Indian state of Rajasthan for 2009-10, this paper attempts to fill this void and examines the association between BMI and participation in, duration of employment in and earnings from employment in NREGS. Thus we go beyond the scope of the extant literature and model these links for both male and female workers with varied social and economic backgrounds. Further, we permit non-linearities in some impacts and allow for mutual endogenity, say, between BMI and earnings. The policy implications of a mix of piece and daily wage rates under NREGS, a combination of NREGS and food subsidy, and the mix of food subsidised are elaborated.