There is a huge uproar amid preparations to bring a new law in place of MNREGA. Opposition parties are angry regarding this issue. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is being replaced by a new ‘Developed India-Employment and Livelihood Guarantee Mission (Rural)’ (Developed India – Ji Ram Ji) Bill, 2025. However, not only the name of the scheme is being changed but many important rules have also been included in this new bill, on which ABP News talked to political expert Ruman Hashmi.
On the issue of MNREGA, the expert said that the government’s obsession with changing the name is no longer limited to schemes, but it also wants to change the symbols which remain the identity of India even today. MNREGA is directly linked to Mahatma Gandhi’s name, ideas, truth, non-violence and social justice.
Mahatma Gandhi moral and political ideal of the whole world
Rumaan Hashmi said that even today Mahatma Gandhi is considered the moral and political ideal not only of India but of the entire world. Foreign delegations, heads of state and global leaders attended his funeral. Study centers related to Gandhi still exist in universities around the world. Leaders like Nelson Mandela openly admitted that they were inspired by Gandhi’s ideas. He further said that in such a situation the question arises that if Gandhi is accepted globally then why was the need felt to change the names of the schemes related to him within the country? This is not just an administrative decision but can also be a sign of ideological distance.
Mohan Bhagwat’s statement
Recently a statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat came out, in which he said that power now rules in place of truth. This statement is being linked to the name change of MNREGA. The question is that if Gandhian values like truth, non-violence and morality are being marginalized, then is removing Gandhi’s name from MNREGA another step in that direction?
Story beyond name change in MNREGA
Ruman Hashmi said that if the government had just changed the name, perhaps there would not have been so much controversy, but critics say that along with changing the name, changes are also being made in the structure and soul of the scheme. The government has said to increase the working days under MNREGA from 100 to 125. This sounds positive on paper, but the question on the ground is whether all states will actually get 125 days of work? Will payments be made on time?
AI audit and GPS monitoring
The government argues that AI based audit will prevent misuse of funds. GPS monitoring will eliminate fake attendance, but a big question arises here. There are about 8.3 crore unskilled workers associated with MNREGA. Will they all have GPS tracking? Will surveillance be limited only to the workplace and working hours (8–9 hours) or can it become a means of interference in personal life? If a district level officer is in charge of this monitoring, then it can become a serious issue related to privacy and personal freedom.
Wages, payments and new 15 day rule
The government has said that the wages will be increased from Rs 250 to Rs 400, but a new rule has also been added along with it. If the work is not completed within 15 days, partial payment of wages will be made. The remaining payment will be received later. On this, the expert said that this rule can weaken the economic security of poor laborers, because their daily needs depend on timely payment.
Change in funding pattern
The biggest strength of MNREGA was that the central government provided 100% funding in it. Now in the new structure, the central government will provide 60% funding and the state government will provide 40% funding. This change can become a big problem for backward states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. While there is a promise of 100% funding in Union Territories like Delhi and Chandigarh, putting the burden of 40% on poor states can deepen the inequality.
Different tone of Congress, Opposition and Shashi Tharoor
Congress and other opposition parties have expressed strong objection to the government’s decision. Many leaders including Priyanka Gandhi called it an attack on Gandhi’s name and ideas. However, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took a different stand. He says that changing the name is not that big an issue, but the policy changes are unfortunate. This is the reason why he appeared uncomfortable with the central leadership of the party on this issue.
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