Government swaps MGNREGS for new rural jobs scheme
India
The government is phasing out the old MGNREGS and rolling in the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act 2025.
This change comes after years of complaints—think sloppy planning, wasted funds, machines doing people's jobs, and digital attendance being ignored.
Why should you care?
The new act bumps up guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125 per rural household and focuses on projects like water security, climate resilience, and better village infrastructure.
It also brings in tighter checks—biometric logins, geo-tagged worksites, weekly wages—to fight fraud that plagued the earlier scheme.
The goal? More transparent jobs programs that actually help rural families earn a living.