India, Feb. 10 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
The participation of women under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS has consistently been more than 50% in the last three financial years and current financial year 2025-26
The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 strengthens and expands the guarantee framework by providing a statutory guarantee of at least 125 days of wage employment per rural household per financial year, increased from 100 days, thereby enhancing rural income and livelihood security. It includes a stronger statutory unemployment allowance, payable if work is not provided within the stipulated time, with rates linked to the notified wage rate. Further, by increasing guaranteed days and ensuring time-bound wage payments and unemployment allowance, the Act strengthens household income stability, supporting food security and consumption smoothing for rural families.
Under the new Act, works are prioritised across four themes-water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure, and mitigation of extreme weather events-leading to creation of durable and productive rural assets. The Act adopts a forward-looking framework by promoting durable, productivity-enhancing assets and, through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans and convergence, links wage employment with asset creation, infrastructure gap saturation and long-term livelihood enhancement. Livelihood-related infrastructure focuses on productive assets that directly generate income and employment, such as rural haats, storage structures, work sheds, and livestock or fisheries infrastructure, thereby strengthening agriculture, improving market access and promoting local enterprises.
Thus, rather than shrinking the job availability and employment guarantee, the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 expands the employment guarantee for all categories of beneficiaries including women, strengthens legal entitlements and aligns rural employment with sustainable livelihood creation and climate-resilient development.
Additionally, the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 is designed to be gender-inclusive, with several women-centric provisions to support women and women-headed households in rural area. These provisions are as follows:
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
