There’s a Need to Reimagine MGNREGA for a Modern Economy

There’s a Need to Reimagine MGNREGA for a Modern Economy

Sonalde Desai
Livemint 24 January 2025

The two decades since the passage of the act have seen tremendous changes

The year 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The programme design, resulting from a unique collaboration between bureaucrats and civil society, reflects a rights-based approach where 100 days of manual labour are to be provided to any rural household. It is the largest government programme with its budget reflecting 17% of the total budget for centrally sponsored schemes.