Sat Nov 22 20:21:00 UTC 2025: News Article:

MNREGA Worker Deletions Surge Amid E-KYC Push

Madurai, Tamil Nadu – November 23, 2025 – A significant increase in the deletion of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) workers has been observed across India, coinciding with the Union government’s drive to implement e-KYC (Know Your Customer) verification. Between October 10 and November 14, 2025, the number of deleted workers surged to 27 lakh, nearly double the 15 lakh deleted in the preceding six months.

The Ministry of Rural Development maintains that e-KYC aims to enhance transparency and efficiency in the program, and that the Government has issued guidlines to prevent arbitrary/wrongful deletion. The Government also noted that verification of MGNREGA workers is a continuous process and not related to worker deletion.

However, critics point out that the timing of the deletions raises concerns about potential exclusion due to technical glitches and issues with mandatory biometric verification. Previous technology implementations, such as the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) for attendance and the Aadhaar Based Payment System (ABPS), have faced challenges, including connectivity issues and discrepancies in Aadhaar details.

Notably, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh, all states with high e-KYC completion rates, have recorded the largest number of deletions, raising further questions about the effectiveness and potential unintended consequences of the new verification process. Concerns have been raised as to why the government has failed to explain why states with high e-KYC completion rates are leading in deletions.

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