New Delhi: Demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, or MGNREGA, has dropped sharply since June, with official data showing that the number of people seeking employment under the rural jobs scheme fell nearly two-thirds between June and October.

Total MGNREGA participation fell from around 35.4 million persons in June to 12.8 million in October, according to the ministry of rural development, marking one of the steepest mid-year declines in recent years. During the same period last year, participation had dropped from 34.2 million to 19.9 million, a 42% decline.

States such as Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, which account for a large share of total MGNREGA employment , saw the most pronounced declines. Participation in A

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