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MGNREGA
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act promised every rural household up to 100 days of unskilled manual work a year on demand, at a set wage. In December 2025 it was replaced by the VB-G RAM G Act, which raises the guarantee to 125 days but shares costs with states.
Why It Matters
For two decades it was rural India’s largest safety net during droughts and crises.
In India
During the 2020 lockdowns, demand for MGNREGA work surged as migrant workers returned to their villages.
See it in the news
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