Overview
- Parliament has replaced MGNREGA with the VB-G RAM G Act, which has presidential assent and will take effect after the Centre frames and notifies rules, likely in the coming fiscal year.
- States will get six months after notification to craft their own schemes, verified MGNREGA job cards will be accepted during the changeover, and ongoing works will continue.
- The law expands the guarantee to 125 days and permits an up to 60-day agricultural pause, with added transparency tools including strengthened social audits, weekly disclosures, e‑measurement books and geospatial planning via platforms like Yuktdhara.
- The government and BJP have launched awareness drives in places such as Vidisha and Jaipur, with leaders pitching the overhaul as anti‑corruption and aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
- The Congress has opened a 45‑day MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyaan and critics warn of weakened work guarantees for vulnerable groups, even as a ministry vigilance audit reports over 11 lakh irregularities and about Rs 300 crore in misuse under the old scheme.