The goals are:

i)Social protection for the most vulnerable people living in rural India by guaranteeing wage employment opportunities.

ii)Enhance livelihood security of the rural poor through generation of wage employment opportunities in works leading to creation of durable assets.

iii)Rejuvenate natural resource base of rural areas.

iv)Create a durable and productive rural asset base.

v) Empowerment of the socially disadvantaged, especially, women, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), through the processes of a rights-based legislation.

vi) Strengthen decentralised, participatory planning through convergence of various anti-poverty and livelihoods initiatives.

vii)Deepen democracy at the grassroots by strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions.