In force · As amended up to 2026-08
2. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme shall hereinafter be referred to as "Mahatma Gandhi NREGS" and any reference in the said scheme to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 shall be referred to as "Mahatma Gandhi NREGA".
2. Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, —
(a) "adult" means a person who has completed his eighteenth years of age;
(b) "applicant" means the head of a household or any of its other adult members who has applied for employment under the Scheme;
(c) "Block" means a community development area within a district comprising a group of Gram Panchayats;
(d) "Central Council" means the Central Employment Guarantee Council constituted under sub-section (1) of section 10;
(e) "District Programme Coordinator" means an officer of the State Government designated as such under sub-section (1) of section 14 for implementation of the Scheme in a district;
(f) "household" means the members of a family related to each other by blood, marriage or adoption and normally residing together and sharing meals or holding a common ration card;
(g) "implementing agency" includes any department of the Central Government or a State Government, a Zila Parishad, Panchayat at intermediate level, Gram Panchayat or any local authority or Government undertaking or non-governmental organisation authorised by the Central Government or the State Government to undertake the implementation of any work taken up under a Scheme;
(h) "minimum wage", in relation to any area, means the minimum wage fixed by the State Government under section 3 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (11 of 1948) for agricultural labourers as applicable in that area;
1. Subs. by Act 46 of 2009, s. 2, for "the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act" (w.e.f. 2-10-2009).
2. The words "except the State of Jammu and Kashmir" omitted by Act 23 of 2007, s. 2, (w.e.f. 6-6-2007).
2. It shall be the duty of the Gram Panchayat, after making such enquiry, as it deems fit, to issue a job card within fifteen days from the date of receipt of such application, containing therein a unique job card number with details of the registered adult members of the household, their photos, Bank or Post office account number, insurance policy number and the Aadhaar numbers if any.
Source: India Code