For almost two decades, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) defined much of the framework for rural development in India. The minister takes up the contentious claim of getting 125 days of work on demand under the law. He says, “The most common criticism is that VB-G RAM G undermines the demand-driven nature of rural employment. But there is more in the law that makes it clear that its demand-based architecture has been demolished. All states are cash starved and MGNREGA provided states with enormous resources for meeting both the employment and development needs of their rural areas.

Source: Indian Express December 24, 2025 10:49 UTC