27 lakh workers deleted from India's rural job program after e-KYC
About 27 lakh workers were removed from India’s MGNREGA between October and mid-November 2025 after e-KYC became mandatory. The deletions surpassed 10.5 lakh additions in the same period, causing net loss. States with high e-KYC rates saw more removals. Government calls deletions routine; critics warn it risks excluding genuine rural workers dependent on the scheme.