National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA/MGNREGA), 2005
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Central or state Act — primary legislation passed by the legislature. Carries binding force and shapes the rules under which citizens, institutions, and markets operate.
Summary
Guaranteed 100 days of wage employment per year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. The world's largest public works programme, providing a social safety net to millions. Later renamed MGNREGA.
Key Facts
TypeAct
SourceHistorical Record (Curated)
PublishedThursday, 25 August 2005
Affected Population~900 million rural population, 250,000 gram panchayats
Key Numbers
PMAY-G: 2.95 crore houses sanctioned
PMGSY: 7.25 lakh km rural roads
SHG network: 9 crore women members
4 Labour Codes consolidating 29 laws
Key Authorities
Key Stakeholders
Government Context
UPA ICongress-led UPA
LeftCentreRight
Impact Assessment
9/10
Impact ScoreBeneficiaries7.8 crore households (2025-26)
Budget AllocationRs 86K Crore
CoverageAll states and UTs
Implementation StatusOperational
92% implemented
Key Outcomes
- World's largest employment guarantee programme
- 290+ crore person-days of work generated annually
- Critical safety net during economic shocks and pandemics
Challenges
- Wage payment delays
- Muster roll fraud
- Declining real wage rates