New rural jobs law guarantees 125 days, but extra 50 days for forest-rights families unclear

For people living in villages, the government employment scheme is a major source of income. Earlier, eligible rural households were guaranteed 100 days of work a year under MGNREGA. The Union government has now brought in a new rural employment law in place of MGNREGA, guaranteeing eligible rural households 125 days of work a year.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised over the 50 additional days of work given to some eligible tribal families living in forest areas. The question is whether these families will still be able to get 150 days of work a year under the new law.

The Centre has enforced the "Viksit Bharat-Rozgar and Ajeevika Abhiyan Adhiniyam, 2025" from July 1, 2026. Under the Act, eligible rural households are guaranteed at least 125 days of work in a financial year. The limit under MGNREGA was 100 days, so the guarantee has gone up by 25 days.

Consider the earlier arrangement. In January 2014, the Ministry of Rural Development directed states and Union Territories to provide some eligible Scheduled Tribe families living in forest areas 50 additional days of wage employment, over and above the 100 days under MGNREGA. The benefit was meant for families holding land rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The condition was that these families should own no private land other than the land received under the FRA.

The biggest question is whether, after the new law, eligible forest-rights holders are still entitled to these additional 50 days of work. Section 5 of the new law guarantees eligible rural households 125 days of work. However, the new employment law does not clearly mention the additional 50 days.

Thus, while the guaranteed days for all eligible rural households have risen from 100 to 125, the future of the separate 50 days for tribal families with forest rights is not clearly spelt out in the law.