India’s government plans to replace MGNREGA with the VB-G RAM G Act on July 1, promising 125 days of guaranteed wage employment and claiming it will drive rural transformation. Congress has hit back, calling the notification an exercise in centralisation that could weaken rural workers’ bargaining power and shift control away from labour.
The central government has notified that the VB G RAM G Act, the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural), will replace MGNREGA from July 1, 2026. The new job guarantee scheme aims to strengthen rural employment and infrastructure development, signaling a shift in how the government delivers guaranteed work to rural households.
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India will roll out VB-G RAM G to replace MGNREGA starting July 1, 2026. The new scheme guarantees eligible rural households 125 days of work each year, with a near Rs 96,000 crore budget allocation. The government says the switch will be seamless, keeping existing job cards valid, while focusing on rural infrastructure and livelihoods.
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