Parliament Question: Comparative analysis/Impact assessment of rural employment guarantee schemes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1742 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13/02/2026 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS/IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF RURAL EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEMES 1742 Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain: Will the Minister of Rural Development be pleased to state: (a) the reasons for replacing a rights-based, demand-driven employment guarantee law under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G Act); and (b) whether any impact assessment or comparative analysis has been undertaken to evaluate likely effects on rural employment generation, wage security, and women’s participation vis-à-vis MGNREGA? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN) (a): The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 is a comprehensive statutory overhaul of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, by enhancing the legal guarantee from 100 days to 125 days of wage employment, aligning rural employment with the long-term vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, while strengthening accountability, infrastructure outcomes and income security. This Act builds on past improvements while addressing the shortcomings of earlier Rural Employment programs through a modern, accountable, and infrastructure-focused framework. Further, 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. (b): In the past twenty years, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) has contributed in providing guaranteed wage-employment to rural households ensuring wage income. However, further strengthening had become necessary in view of the significant socio-economic transformation witnessed in the rural landscape driven by widespread coverage of the social security interventions and saturation- oriented implementation of major Government schemes. Similarly, rural connectivity, rural housing, electrification, financial inclusion and digital access have deepened, the workforce has diversified, and aspirations have shifted towards better incomes, growth-oriented infrastructure, sustainable livelihoods and greater climate resilience. Over the years, a range of administrative and technological reforms had been introduced by the Ministry to enhance the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, resulting in notable improvements in participation, transparency, and digital governance. Page 1 of 2However, deeper structural issues persisted. Monitoring in several states revealed gaps, including work not being done on the ground, expenditure not matching physical progress, the use of machines in labour-intensive work, and frequent bypassing of digital attendance systems. Since the overall architecture of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS had reached its limits, it warranted reassessment in light of evolving rural realities. Against this backdrop and to cater to the changing aspirations, the requirement for stronger convergence was felt to establish an integrated, Whole-of-Government rural development framework covering several complementary Government schemes. Additionally, it was felt essential that rural infrastructure creation must transition from fragmented provisioning to a coherent and future-oriented approach which also necessitated that resources are distributed in a fair manner to reduce disparities and promote inclusive growth across all rural areas of the country based on objective parameters. ***** Page 2 of 2