Vol. 8, Issue 1, Part A (2026)

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), enacted in 2005, has been one of India’s most significant rights-based social protection legislations, guaranteeing wage employment to rural households. In 2025, the Government of India repealed MGNREGA and replaced it with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM G Act). This article critically examines the rationale, structural changes, and potential socio-economic implications of this transition. It argues that while the new Act seeks to integrate rural employment with long-term development goals, it marks a fundamental shift away from a demand-driven, legally enforceable right to work toward a planned, budget-constrained welfare framework, raising important concerns about rural livelihood security, federal fiscal balance, and social justice.