Director-Level Upgrade and Major Renaming of MGNREGA Announced

The post of Ms Richa Verma has been upgraded to the Director level in the Department of Higher Education. She is a 2012 batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre.

Separately, the Government of India has renamed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as the Pujya Bapu Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, 2025. The proposed move aims to refresh the scheme’s identity while reinforcing its Gandhian roots in rural self-reliance and employment generation. Along with the renaming, the government is expected to introduce higher wage rates linked to inflation, expanded coverage for semi-skilled work, improved digital payment systems, and incentives for sustainable livelihood projects such as water conservation and agro-forestry.