Shimla, May 11
The Union Government has formally issued a notification to repeal the landmark rural employment law introduced by the UPA government in 2005, bringing an end to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from July 1, 2026.
According to the notification issued by the Ministry of Rural Development on May 11, 2026, the Centre has appointed July 1, 2026, as the date from which the MGNREGA Act, 2005, along with all rules, schemes, notifications, orders and guidelines framed under it, “shall stand repealed.”
The notification has been issued under Section 37(1) of the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB-G RAM G Act, 2025. The new legislation is set to replace the rural employment guarantee framework that had operated for nearly two decades.
MGNREGA, enacted by the UPA government in 2005 and rolled out in 2006, was internationally recognised as one of the world’s largest public employment programmes. The scheme guaranteed 100 days of wage employment annually to rural households and played a crucial role in providing livelihood support during agrarian distress, economic slowdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The programme was widely credited with strengthening rural purchasing power, creating village infrastructure and reducing distress migration. Economists, international agencies and labour rights groups had often described it as a pioneering social security initiative for rural India.
The government, however, has decided to replace the scheme with the newly enacted “Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)” framework. Detailed operational guidelines of the new programme are yet to be publicly released.
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The notification has triggered political debate, with opposition parties likely to accuse the Centre of dismantling a rights-based welfare legislation that became a lifeline for millions of rural workers. Congress leaders have repeatedly described MGNREGA as a historic employment guarantee law and one of the flagship achievements of the UPA era.
The official gazette notification was issued by Joint Secretary Rohini R Bhajibha kare in the Ministry of Rural Development.
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