Activists condemn repeal of India’s rural jobs guarantee law, MGNREGA
Scheme had guaranteed 100 days of demand-based work per household
Women accounted for 58 per cent of person-days in 2025, according to the latest Economic Survey
Replacement programme VBGRAMG criticised as non-demand-bas
A coalition of grassroots activists and workers' unions across India has condemned the central government's decision to repeal the country’s landmark rural employment guarantee, warning of a return to “labour bondage” and rural distress.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which served as the world’s largest social security net for two decades, was repealed on December 18, 2025. It has been replaced by the Viksit Bharat Gramin Gaurav (VB-GRAMG) scheme.
In a joint statement released on February 15, 2026, over 50 organisations and dozens of activists, including representatives from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Jharkhand, condemned the move, describing the new scheme as a “top-down” programme that strips workers of their legal rights.
MGNREGA strengthened rural workers’ bargaining power, particularly during the sowing and harvesting seasons, and enabled the creation of class-based organisations that cut across caste and gender lines, the campaigners argued. In Karnataka, they cited the emergence of GRAKOOS, a rural workers’ organisation with around 100,000 members, as one such example.
In the statement, activists pointed out that MGNREGA provided a legal guarantee of 100 days of manual work per year to any rural household that demanded it for over two decades. It was credited with empowering women and providing a vital lifeline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The activists say the scheme brought millions of women into paid work and into the banking system for the first time. According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, women accounted for 58 per cent of the 1.87 billion person-days of work generated in 2025.
It also credited MGNREGA with ensuring equal wages for men and women in many areas, supporting soil and water conservation, and strengthening local democracy by giving Gram Sabhas powers to plan and budget for public works.
The programme was also described as “the greatest support for working people” during the Covid-19 pandemic, when it provided a fallback income for migrant workers returning to villages.
The government, however, has consistently defended the transition to VB-GRAMG. Officials previously cited “leakages,” corruption, and the need for more permanent infrastructure as reasons for the overhaul. They point to the increased promise of 125 days of work under VB-GRAMG as an improvement.
The statement alleged that delays in wage payments were exacerbated by the central government’s failure to release its share of funds on time.
It also claims that digitisation measures like mobile-based attendance apps, geo-tagging of worksites and Aadhaar-linked e-KYC processes led to the deletion of job cards and exclusion of “hundreds of thousands of workers” from employment in the name of transparency.
If corruption and staff shortages were concerns, the activists argue, it was the government’s responsibility to address the “malpractices” rather than repeal the law.
The group has rejected the justification for replacing MGNREGA with a new programme, VBGRAMG. The new scheme is not demand-based and will provide work only in government-notified areas, they pointed out.
The new scheme is a beneficiary-oriented patronage programme and turns a legal right into a government favour, the statement added. “VBGRAMG is a beneficiary-oriented patronage programme in which states heading into elections receive higher allocations from the Centre,” the activists wrote. On the other hand, “states governed by non-BJP parties will be starved of funds.”
They warned that a proposed 60-day suspension of work during peak agricultural season could depress rural wages and increase distress migration, particularly in states such as Jharkhand.
The statement further alleged that planning under VBGRAMG is “top-down”, reducing the role of the Gram Sabha, and that its infrastructure focus could formalise the role of contractors, who were previously barred under MGNREGA.
The signatories said they fear reduced rural employment, greater labour bondage and increased hunger if the repeal is not reversed. They also warned that poorer states may struggle to fund their share of the new scheme, potentially reducing average workdays per household despite a promised 125 days.
The activists resolved to pass Gram Sabha resolutions, organise marches and press local elected representatives to demand the withdrawal of VBGRAMG and the revival of MGNREGA in the statement.
The declaration has been signed by activists from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Haryana, and endorsed by a range of civil society organisations and individuals across India.