Ensuring vital employment stays on track for millions, at least 24 States and Union Territories across India have proactively ring-fenced funds for the crucial Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. This decisive action to create budgetary provisions comes amidst ongoing uncertainty from the Centre regarding its 'normative allocations' – the expected standard contributions. To prevent any disruption to rural employment, most of these States and UTs are wisely basing their current year's financial commitments on historical spending under MGNREGA. This forward-thinking approach by local administrations underscores a strong commitment to local job security and bolstering village economies, even as the federal government's final share for the nationwide rural jobs programme awaits clarity.