(1)

This Act may be called the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.

(2)

It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

(3)

It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint; and different dates may be appointed for different States or for different areas in a State and any reference in any such provision to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the coming into force of that provision in such State or, as the case may be, in such area:

Provided that this Act shall be applicable to the whole of the territory to which it extends within a period of five years from the date of enactment of this Act.