100 to 125 days: MNREGA scheme to get name change, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The government is considering revamping the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
• A proposal to increase guaranteed employment days from 100 to 125 for eligible rural households is under discussion.
• The Union Cabinet discussed renaming the law to Pujya Bapu Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
• In 2024-25, the average employment provided was about 50 days, with 40.70 lakh households completing 100 days.
• Only 6.74 lakh families have reached the 100-day ceiling in the current financial year.
• The proposal aligns with the scheme's continuation in the Sixteenth Finance Commission awards from April 1, 2026.

Detailed Insights:

• The Ministry of Rural Development formed a committee in 2022 to assess state performance and governance issues related to MGNREGA.
• Several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, have requested an increase to the 100-day work limit.
• States can fund work beyond 100 days independently, but few do so, with only 4.35 crore person-days out of 290 crore in 2024-25 being state-funded.
• The MGNREGA entitles rural households to at least 100 days of wage employment for adult members volunteering for unskilled manual work.
• While Section 3(1) of the MGNREG Act stipulates "not less than one hundred days," the software limits data entry above 100 days unless specifically requested by the State/UT.
• Additional employment of 50 days is available, such as for Scheduled Tribe households in forest areas and areas affected by drought or natural calamities.

Key Concepts Involved:

• MGNREGA: A flagship rural employment scheme guaranteeing wage employment to rural households.
• Sixteenth Finance Commission: Constitutional body determining the distribution of tax revenues between the Union and the States.
• Unskilled Manual Work: Physical labor that does not require specialized training or skills.