After President Droupadi Murmu’s approval, the Centre’s new rural jobs law replacing MGNREGA draws sharp criticism from Congress over worker rights.

The Centre’s new rural employment law replacing the long-standing MGNREGA has come into force after receiving assent from Droupadi Murmu, sparking strong opposition from the Congress, which has warned of serious consequences for rural workers.

The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 promises 125 days of unskilled work per rural household and emphasises asset creation through centrally planned projects. The government claims the revised framework will ensure efficiency, faster payments and tighter monitoring.

Congress leaders, however, argue that the law weakens the rights-based structure of MGNREGA by shifting decision-making away from village institutions and increasing the financial burden on states through a revised funding formula. Senior leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have termed the move a rollback of social justice.

They accused the Narendra Modi government of replacing a people-driven employment guarantee with a top-down scheme that could leave vulnerable families with fewer protections.

Analysis
MGNREGA functioned as a legal right, empowering rural households to demand work. Diluting this framework risks excluding the poorest, particularly in backward regions. Without strong safeguards, critics say the new law may prioritise optics over livelihoods, deepening rural insecurity rather than addressing it.