The Government of India has renamed the NREGA scheme by associating it with the name of which national leader?

Introduction / Context:
Rural employment schemes are central to India's social and economic policy. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is a major programme that provides guaranteed wage employment to rural households. At a later stage, the Government of India chose to rename and rebrand this scheme by associating it with the name of a prominent national leader. This question tests knowledge of that rebranded name and the leader with whom the scheme is linked.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The original name was NREGA, a rural employment guarantee scheme.
• The scheme was renamed by adding the name of a national leader.
• The options are Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• We assume standard awareness of major flagged government schemes in India.

Concept / Approach:
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was rebranded as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, abbreviated as MGNREGA. The addition of the name Mahatma Gandhi highlights the focus on rural empowerment, dignity of labour, and inclusive development, which resonate with his philosophy. By process of elimination and recall, the candidate should identify that NREGA is now commonly known as MGNREGA and that the leader associated with this updated name is Mahatma Gandhi.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the full expanded name of the scheme as used in official government documents and media.Step 2: Note that the scheme is widely referred to as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, or MGNREGA.Step 3: Recognise that the name Mahatma Gandhi appears at the beginning of the expanded title.Step 4: Match this with the options given in the question.Step 5: Conclude that the correct leader associated with the renamed scheme is Mahatma Gandhi.

Verification / Alternative check:
Government websites, official notifications, and economic survey documents refer to the scheme consistently as MGNREGA. Media discussions on rural employment programmes also use the full name Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. This confirms beyond doubt that the name of Mahatma Gandhi is officially linked with the scheme, and none of the other given leaders are part of its formal title.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel have many institutions, schemes, and awards named after them, but the rural employment guarantee act specifically uses the name of Mahatma Gandhi. There is no official version of the scheme called Rajiv Gandhi NREGA, Indira Gandhi NREGA, Nehru NREGA, or Patel NREGA. Therefore those options are not correct in this context.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners remember only the abbreviation NREGA and may not recall that the scheme was renamed MGNREGA. Others may confuse this scheme with programmes that use the names of other leaders because many government initiatives carry names of prominent national figures. To avoid confusion, it is helpful to remember that the word rural, employment, and Mahatma Gandhi come together in the full form of MGNREGA.

Final Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi is the leader whose name has been associated with the renamed NREGA scheme, now called the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.