India Passes MGNREGA Overhaul Bill Boosting Workdays

India's Parliament has passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin Bill, overhauling the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act by increasing guaranteed workdays for rural households while introducing new funding and operational changes. The legislation cleared the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid chaotic protests and passed the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of Friday by voice vote, despite opposition walkouts and disruptions.

The new law, introduced by the Union Rural Development Ministry, guarantees 125 days of unskilled manual work per financial year to eligible rural households, up from 100 days under the previous scheme. It shifts from a fully central-sector program to a centrally sponsored one with a 60-40 funding split between the Centre and states, except for northeastern and Himalayan states at 90-10 and union territories without legislatures fully covered by the Centre. States must bear the cost of unemployment allowances if work is not provided within 15 days of demand. Wage payments are mandated within seven days of work completion, tightened from the prior 15-day limit.

Key reforms emphasize technology for...