At present only three schemes are running in the country in the name of Mahatma Gandhi, who is called the Father of the Nation. One was closed several years ago. In this, the biggest scheme in his name is MNREGA. Whose full name is Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. This scheme was started 61 years after his death. Now a proposal to change it to VB-Ji Ram Ji (Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission) has been presented in the Parliament by the Central Government.
This too has a story. The Congress-led UPA government of Manmohan Singh introduced a law in 2005. Its name was National Rural Employment Guarantee Act i.e. NREGA. It was first implemented in 200 districts in 2006. Then in 2008 it was implemented throughout the country. Then Bharatiya Janata Party was the main opposition party. He opposed this plan inside and outside the Parliament.
BJP said at that time, this is “not employment, it is a relief scheme”. This will increase laziness. Rural laborers will move away from farming. The fiscal burden will be huge. Corruption and fake job cards will increase in the states. At that time, it was also criticized by calling it “Khadda Khodo-Bhar Do Yojana”.
Manmohan government named it Gandhi
BJP suggested many amendments on this scheme in Parliament. Questions were raised over expenditure and accountability but the law was passed with the support of Congress, Left parties and some regional parties. On October 2, 2009, the Manmohan led UPA government in its second term changed its name to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. It was linked to Gandhiji’s Gram Swaraj.
Then BJP also extended this scheme
When BJP came to power in 2014, this scheme was not stopped but its budget was increased. In 2015, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Parliament, MNREGA is a monument to the failure of Congress but the scheme continued. Now the Narendra Modi-led UPA government has presented a proposal in the Lok Sabha on December 16 to change its name to VB-G Ram Ji Law. However, the question is definitely arising that why the government wants to change the name of the biggest scheme made in the name of Gandhiji.
So hasn’t this name changed yet?
No, the name of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) has not been changed yet to “Ji Ram Ji National Rural Employment Guarantee Act”. The Central Government has introduced the “Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Rural)” or “VB-Ji Ram Ji” Bill in the Lok Sabha, which will replace MNREGA 2005. This bill is currently under consideration in the Parliament. There was an uproar when it was presented on 16 December 2025.
when will the change happen
The name change and the new scheme will be implemented only when the bill is passed by the Parliament and gets the approval of the President. Then MNREGA will end completely, in which changes like increasing the number of employment days from 100 to 125 are proposed. The opposition is calling it an insult to Gandhiji.
Which scheme named after Gandhi was closed
By the way, let us tell you that a total of three schemes are currently running under MNREGA in the name of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi Craft Market Scheme, Mahatma Gandhi Weavers Insurance Scheme and the third one is MNREGA. The name of the scheme which was discontinued by the NDA government in the year 2017 was Mahatma Gandhi Migrant Protection Scheme, which was started in the year 2012.
This scheme was started in the year 2012 by the Ministry of External Affairs with the aim of providing social security (pension and life insurance) to passport holding overseas Indian workers working abroad. Through this, migrant workers were provided savings for old age, funds for repatriation and rehabilitation, and insurance cover in case of natural or accidental death. This scheme was closed from April 1, 2017, considering it to be weak and not receiving much response, which was approved by the Central Government.
For the first time this scheme was given Gandhi’s name
Mahatma Gandhi Weavers Insurance Scheme is running from 2003-05. It was originally started in December 2003 under the name “Weavers Insurance Scheme”. It was modified in 2005-06 and named “Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Yojana”.
This scheme started in conjunction with Janashree Bima Yojana to provide life insurance cover to handloom weavers. Today it is running under the National Handloom Development Programme, which has a cover of Rs 60,000 on natural death and Rs 1.5 lakh on accidental death.
What is Gandhi Craft Market Scheme?
Gandhi Shilp Bazaar Yojana is actually a market-linked handicraft promotion scheme and not a general public welfare or rights-based scheme. Its purpose is to connect the artisan directly with the customer.
Its objective is to free the handicraft artisans from middlemen and give them direct access to the market. Through this, temporary craft market-fairs are organized in different cities of the country. In this, rural and urban artisans and weavers sell their products directly. The government provides assistance in many ways. Well, you can say that this is not a scheme to provide employment, but more of a platform. It was started by the Textile Ministry of the Government of India. It has also been linked to Gandhi because of being indigenous, handicraft and self-reliant artisan.
Well, you can say that the only big scheme in the name of Gandhiji has been MNREGA. However, hundreds of roads, colleges, schools and institutions in the country are named after Mahatma Gandhi.
What is Gandhi Memorial Fund?
Many times people think that Gandhi Smriti Nidhi is also a scheme but in reality it is not a scheme but it is an institution named after him. Gandhi Smriti is a non-profit organization that preserves the principles, life and legacy of Gandhiji, which includes a museum, library and research center. It sometimes runs Gandhian programmes, but does not come under the category of central planning.
How many schemes are named after leaders in the country?
About 20-25 major schemes of the Central Government are currently running in the name of leaders or specific individuals.
Nehru-Gandhi family – Indira Awas Yojana, Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Scheme (now changed), Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Atal Pension Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana.
