India Moves to Revamp Rural Jobs Scheme, Sparks Debate Over Dropping Gandhi’s Name
India has introduced legislation to overhaul its flagship rural employment programme by increasing guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 per household annually, while proposing to remove Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme. The government has allocated 860 billion rupees ($9.5 billion) for the programme in the current fiscal year ending March 2026, saying the reforms align with its long-term goal of making India a developed nation by 2047.
The proposed changes aim to shift the focus of the scheme toward infrastructure-led employment, including rural roads, water supply projects, and initiatives to mitigate the effects of extreme weather. The government also plans to change the funding mechanism, moving away from demand-driven open-ended spending to allocations based on annual budget projections, according to official sources.
A key point of contention is the proposal to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA) as the Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission – Rural. Opposition leaders, including Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have questioned the removal of Gandhi’s name, calling it unnecessary and politically motivated. Analysts note that the scheme has long been associated with the Congress party, which launched it in 2005, and see the renaming as part of the Modi government’s broader effort to reshape political symbolism.
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