Under the new framework, every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work will be entitled to 125 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year, an increase from the existing 100-day guarantee under MGNREGA. The government has now introduced a 15-day employment guarantee provision - workers demanding employment shall receive work within 15 days, with unemployment allowance payable in accordance with the Act if employment is not provided. The government described the move as a 'historic transition' in India's rural development architecture aligned with the vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'. The Ministry of Rural Development has said the transition from MGNREGA to the new framework would be seamless and ongoing works under the existing scheme as of June 30 would continue under the new system.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj is scheduled to hold a briefing on May 20 with representatives of the Department of Rural Development on the preparatory work undertaken for implementation of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G RAM G). According to information shared on the Parliament website, officials from the Ministry of Rural Development will brief the panel on the subject, 'Preparatory work done for implementation of Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G RAM G).' The meeting comes days after the Centre announced that the VB-G RAM G Act will come into force across the country from July 1, 2026, replacing the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The Centre has earmarked ₹95,692.31 crore for the programme in 2026-27, describing it as the highest-ever budget estimate allocation for a rural employment programme. With states' contributions, the total outlay is expected to exceed ₹1.51 lakh crore. The government has maintained that workers will not be denied employment due to pending e-KYC and that wages will continue to be transferred directly into bank or post office accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer. The ministry has also said draft rules covering wage payments, grievance redressal, allocation norms, administrative expenditure, and transitional provisions are being prepared in consultation with states and Union Territories and would be released for public consultation.
The Centre has also said that existing e-KYC verified MGNREGA job cards will remain valid until new 'Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards' are issued, and workers without job cards can continue registering at the gram panchayat level. Launched in 2005 under the Congress-led UPA government, MGNREGA was widely projected as a landmark anti-poverty and rural employment initiative. The announcement has, however, triggered political reactions, with the Congress criticising the new law as a 'headline-grabbing exercise' and alleging it could lead to greater centralisation and weaken the bargaining power of rural labour.
