Overview
- The Rajya Sabha passed the bill hours after Lok Sabha approval, and it now awaits presidential assent before taking effect.
- Opposition parties demanded referral to a parliamentary panel, staged walkouts, tore copies of the bill, and began dharnas while vowing nationwide protests.
- Key changes include a 60:40 Centre–State cost split (90:10 for Northeast and Himalayan states), state-wise normative allocations, and potential seasonal pauses during peak agriculture.
- The government says the overhaul corrects MGNREGA shortcomings by focusing on durable rural assets and transparency, with a proposed outlay of about ₹1.51 lakh crore and the Centre’s share exceeding ₹95,000 crore.
- Critics argue the law weakens a rights-based, demand-driven guarantee, shifts fiscal burden to states, and erases Gandhi’s name, while the guarantee rises to 125 days per household.