The central government is going to make big changes regarding the employment system in rural India. The new Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme VB-G RAM G is going to be implemented in the country from July 1, 2026, which will now replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act i.e. MNREGA. The government claims that this new scheme will make employment, transparency and development of villages stronger than before.
The Union Rural Development Ministry has informed the Standing Committee of Parliament that 25 states have released their share of funds for this new scheme. The government says that complete preparations have been made to implement the scheme across the country from July. The full name of this scheme is “Developed India – Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Gramin)” i.e. VB-G RAM G.
Now you will get employment for 125 days, not 100.
Under the new scheme, rural families will be guaranteed 125 days of employment in a year. Currently, 100 days employment is available under MNREGA. The government believes that this will help in increasing the income of poor families living in villages.
Monitoring will be done through smart job card
In the new scheme, smart employment cards will be given in place of the old job cards. These cards will have technology like face recognition, which will help in preventing fraud and increasing transparency. For those whose e-KYC has been completed, their old cards will remain valid for some time.
Work will be done according to the needs of the villages
Under the VB-G RAM G scheme, more focus will be given to water conservation, rural roads, livelihood related projects and weather related disaster prevention works. A developed Gram Panchayat plan will be prepared in every village, which will get the approval of the Gram Sabha. Development works will be decided on that basis.
Both center and state will bear the expenses
In this scheme, both the central and state governments will jointly bear the expenses. The expenditure ratio in normal states will be 60:40, while the formula of 90:10 will be applicable for North-Eastern and hilly states. The central government estimates that about Rs 1.51 lakh crore will be spent every year on this scheme.
MNREGA works will not stop
The government has made it clear that the work going on under MNREGA will not stop suddenly. Incomplete projects will be completed by including them in the new scheme. If needed, new works can also be started, so that the workers do not face any problem in getting employment.
SK Sharma is a content writer who writes on news, entertainment, and lifestyle topics. She has over four years of experience and is known for conveying information in simple and clear language.
