MGNREGA renamed: Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana to have 125 days, minimum wage Rs 240 per day

In a major policy move, the Central government has renamed MGNREGA  Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana. Alongside the name change, the government has raised the minimum guaranteed employment under the scheme to 125 days, while revising the minimum wage to Rs 240 per day.

The scheme was first introduced in 2005 as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), before being renamed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). As one of India’s most significant social security initiatives, the programme is built on the principle of ensuring the “right to work.”

Its core objective is to enhance livelihood security for unskilled rural households. Under the existing framework, the scheme mandates providing at least 100 days of paid employment to adult members of rural families who volunteer to work—now expanded to 125 days under the latest revision.