Viksit Bharat G RAM G Act 2026: The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, officially known as the VB-G RAM G Act, has come into force today across all 34 states and Union Territories, formally replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA/MGNREGS) a programme that had been the backbone of rural employment security in India for over two decades since 2006. The Ministry of Rural Development notified revised wage rates effective July 1, 2026, introducing a nationwide interim base daily wage floor of ₹300, ensuring no rural worker earns below this threshold under the new framework a first in the history of India’s national rural employment guarantee programme.
The national average daily wage has jumped from ₹298.8 under MGNREGA to ₹327.4 under VB-G RAM G an average increase of ₹28.6 per day, or more than 10% across the country. The guaranteed annual days of employment have been raised from 100 days to 125 days per eligible rural household. Historically low-wage states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh are seeing the sharpest hikes, ranging between 15% and 25%, while high-wage states like Haryana (₹409), Goa (₹406), Kerala (₹401), and Karnataka (₹382) have also received upward revisions under the Central government’s scientific wage indexation formula.
Viksit Bharat G Ram G Act Highlights
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Act name | Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 |
| Short form | VB-G RAM G Act |
| Effective date | July 1, 2026 |
| Replaces | MGNREGA (2006) |
| National average wage (old) | ₹298.8/day (MGNREGA) |
| National average wage (new) | ₹327.4/day (VB-G RAM G) |
| Average increase | ₹28.6/day (+10% overall) |
| New base floor wage | ₹300/day (no state below this) |
| States raised to ₹300 floor | 21 states and UTs |
| Previous lowest wage | ₹241/day |
| New highest wage (state) | ₹409/day — Haryana |
| Highest notified rate (special) | ₹450/day — Sikkim High Altitude GPs |
| Guaranteed employment days | 125 days/year (up from 100) |
| Central interim allocation | ₹95,692.31 crore |
| National launch event | July 2, 2026 — Mukkavaripalli village, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh |
| States with budget provisions | 29 states and UTs |
| States with notified state schemes | 24 states |
What Is the VB-G RAM G Act? How Does It Differ from MGNREGA?
The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 was passed by Parliament in December 2025 and represents the most significant overhaul of India’s rural employment guarantee framework since MGNREGA’s enactment in 2006. While MGNREGA guaranteed 100 days of unskilled manual work per rural household per year, the VB-G RAM G Act extends this to 125 days with a new emphasis on digital implementation, AI-based monitoring, and a mandatory national floor wage.
| Feature | MGNREGA (Old) | VB-G RAM G Act (New) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual employment guarantee | 100 days | 125 days |
| Minimum base wage floor | No mandatory national floor | ₹300/day (no state below this) |
| National average daily wage | ₹298.8/day | ₹327.4/day |
| Wage indexation | Annual revision | Annual indexation + interim floor correction |
| Job card status | MGNREGA job cards | Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards (transition ongoing) |
| Monitoring | Manual + e-FMS | AI-based monitoring system |
| Work focus areas | General rural works | Natural resource management, water conservation, rural infrastructure, women’s empowerment |
| Parliamentary passage | 2005 | December 2025 |
Existing e-KYC-verified job cards issued under MGNREGA remain valid during the transition until new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued by Gram Panchayats. Workers do not need to re-register immediately.
Full State-Wise VB-G RAM G Daily Wage Rates (Effective July 1, 2026)
The fixed daily wages will be between ₹300 and ₹409 across states, with a special ₹450 rate for Gnathang, Lachung and Lachen gram panchayats in Sikkim.
States at the ₹300 Base Floor (21 States/UTs)
The ₹300 rate applies to 21 states and Union Territories, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
| State / Union Territory | New Daily Wage | Change from MGNREGA |
|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | ₹300 | ↑ 15–25% |
| Bihar | ₹300 | ↑ 15–25% |
| Jharkhand | ₹300 | ↑ 15–25% |
| West Bengal | ₹300 | ↑ 15–25% |
| Assam | ₹300 | ↑ 15–25% |
| Arunachal Pradesh | ₹300 | ↑ ~24.5% (highest % rise) |
| Nagaland | ₹300 | ↑ ~24.5% (highest % rise) |
| Chhattisgarh | ₹300 | ↑ significant |
| Madhya Pradesh | ₹300 | ↑ significant |
| Rajasthan | ₹300 | ↑ (raised to floor) |
| Odisha | ₹300 | ↑ significant |
| Gujarat | ₹300 | ↑ (raised to floor) |
| Uttarakhand | ₹300 | ↑ significant |
| Himachal Pradesh | ₹300 | ↑ 15–25% |
| Jammu & Kashmir | ₹300 | ↑ (raised to floor) |
| Ladakh (UT) | ₹300 | ↑ (raised to floor) |
| Tripura | ₹300 | ↑ significant |
| + 4 other UTs/states | ₹300 | ↑ (raised to floor) |
States with Wages Above the ₹300 Floor
Higher rates include ₹308 for Telangana, ₹312 for Andhra Pradesh, ₹317 for Maharashtra, ₹345 for Tamil Nadu, ₹360 for Punjab, ₹382 for Karnataka, ₹401 for Kerala, ₹406 for Goa, and ₹409 for Haryana.
| State | New Daily Wage (July 1, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Telangana | ₹308 |
| Andhra Pradesh | ₹312 |
| Maharashtra | ₹317 |
| Tamil Nadu | ₹345 |
| Punjab | ₹360 |
| Karnataka | ₹382 |
| Kerala | ₹401 |
| Goa | ₹406 |
| Haryana | ₹409 (highest state wage) |
| Sikkim (High Altitude GPs — Gnathang, Lachung, Lachen) | ₹450 (special rate) |
States That Gained the Most
States including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam will see wage increases in the range of 15% to 25%, while Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland will see the highest percentage increase of nearly 24.5%. This is by design the government has explicitly structured the revision so that the greatest gains accrue to states that historically had lower wage rates, addressing a long-standing criticism of MGNREGA that allowed wide regional disparities to persist.
Before this revision, the lowest notified wage under MGNREGA was ₹241/day, paid in certain states in the northeast. Workers earning at that rate now receive ₹300/day, a jump of ₹59/day, or nearly 24.5% more from July 1.
Central Allocation: ₹95,692 Crore to Ensure Smooth Transition
An interim allocation of ₹95,692.31 crore has been made to states and Union Territories to ensure a smooth transition, timely wage payments and uninterrupted implementation of works under the new framework. This is one of the largest single rural development allocations in India’s history and reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring wage payments are not delayed during the shift from MGNREGA systems to the new VB-G RAM G digital platform.
Of India’s 36 states and UTs, 29 states and Union Territories have made budgetary provisions for the Act, while 24 states have notified their VB-G RAM G state schemes. States that have not yet notified their schemes are expected to do so in the weeks following the July 1 national rollout.
National Launch Event: July 2, Andhra Pradesh
The national launch of the VB-G RAM G Act will be held on July 2 at Mukkavaripalli village in Obulavaripalle mandal of Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati district.The event is being chaired by Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who described the wage revision as a “historic step towards building a Viksit Bharat through prosperous villages” and said it would “strengthen rural livelihoods, increase purchasing power and accelerate inclusive development across rural India.” Andhra Pradesh’s selection as the launch venue is significant — it is also the state that will receive ₹312/day under the new rates, above the base floor, reflecting its relatively more developed rural wage structure.
What Changes for Workers on the Ground?
- Higher wages from Day 1 — all workers enrolled under MGNREGA are automatically covered under VB-G RAM G from July 1; the higher wage applies to work done on and after this date.
- 25 extra days of guaranteed work — eligible rural households now have a statutory right to 125 days of wage employment per year instead of 100.
- Existing job cards remain valid — workers do not need to reapply or re-register; their e-KYC-verified MGNREGA job cards will continue to function until Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued by Gram Panchayats.
- Wages paid via DBT — wages will continue to be transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) directly into workers’ bank or post office accounts.
- New work priorities — the VB-G RAM G framework places greater emphasis on natural resource management, water conservation, agricultural support, rural road infrastructure, and women’s empowerment projects at the Gram Panchayat level.
FAQs
Does the ₹300/day floor apply automatically, or do workers need to apply?
The ₹300 base wage floor applies automatically to all eligible workers from July 1, 2026. No separate application is required; the revised rates are operative across all Gram Panchayats from today.
What happened to existing MGNREGA job cards?
Existing e-KYC-verified job cards will remain valid until the new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued. Workers do not need to re-register during this transition.
Why do some states get more than ₹300/day while others only get ₹300?
The VB-G RAM G wage structure uses a scientific indexation formula combining annual inflation adjustment with the new ₹300 interim floor. States with already higher rural wages — based on regional cost of living, labour market conditions, and prior indexation — receive higher rates accordingly. All states received an upward revision; none received a cut.
Is this change permanent or temporary?
The ₹300 interim base floor is the current operative rate from July 1, 2026. The VB-G RAM G Act mandates annual wage indexation going forward, so rates will continue to be reviewed and revised each year, with the floor acting as the minimum guarantee.
What is the Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Card?
It is the new job card under the VB-G RAM G Act, replacing the MGNREGA job card. It will be issued by Gram Panchayats and will serve as the primary document for enrolling in and accessing rural employment guarantee benefits under the new law.
