MGNREGA name change proposal to cabinet
The Union Cabinet approved a proposal on December 12, 2025, to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to “Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana” or a similar variant like “Pujya Bapu Rural Employment Guarantee Bill 2025.”
The revamp increases guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 per rural household annually, aiming to strengthen the scheme’s scope amid ongoing evaluations for the Sixteenth Finance Commission period starting April 2026. This flagship welfare program, originally launched in 2005, supports unskilled manual work with transparency measures like social audits.
Sources indicate the decision was cleared in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a bill likely for introduction in Parliament’s Winter session. The scheme has historically boosted rural employment, women’s participation, and migrant worker support during crises like COVID-19.
