Centre Notifies Implementation of VB-G RAM G Act from July 1

The Central Government has notified the implementation of the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, popularly called the VB-G RAM G Act. The new law will come into force across rural India from 1 July 2026. It will replace the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Key Highlights

The VB-G RAM G Act will be implemented nationwide from 1 July 2026.

The Act replaces MGNREGA, 2005.

Rural households will get a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment annually.

Earlier, MGNREGA guaranteed 100 days of employment.

The scheme focuses on rural employment, livelihood security, and village-level development.

Wage payments will continue through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into bank or post office accounts.

Workers will receive wages weekly or within 15 days of work completion.

Delay in wage payment will make workers eligible for compensation.

Existing MGNREGA job cards will remain valid temporarily during the transition.

The Central Government allocated ₹95,692 crore for the programme in FY 2026–27, the highest-ever allocation for a rural employment scheme.

What is VB-G RAM G Act?

Full Form: Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)

Objective

Increase rural employment opportunities

Improve livelihood security

Create durable rural infrastructure

Promote self-reliant villages under the “Viksit Bharat @2047” vision

Employment Guarantee

Under the new Act, every eligible rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work will get:

125 days of guaranteed wage employment per financial year

Important Changes from MGNREGA

FeatureMGNREGAVB-G RAM G Act

Launch Year20052025

Employment Guarantee100 days125 days

FocusWage employmentEmployment + livelihood + rural transformation

Payment SystemDBTDBT with stronger transparency

VisionRural employmentViksit Bharat @2047

Important Terms & Definitions

MGNREGA: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is a law that guarantees wage employment to rural households.

Statutory Guarantee: A legal guarantee provided by law that the government is bound to fulfill.

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): A system in which government benefits are directly transferred into beneficiaries’ bank accounts.

Gram Panchayat: The village-level local self-government institution in rural India.