VB-G RAM G job demand up 24% in Aug

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Demand for jobs under the new rural employment guarantee scheme VB-G RAM G in India rose by nearly 24% in August compared to July. The new law, which replaced MGNREGA, provides higher guaranteed employment days and increased minimum daily wages to strengthen rural livelihoods and improve public assets.

New Delhi: Demand for jobs under the new rural employment guarantee programme, Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar & Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), rose in August from July.Work demanded by households under the scheme rose 23.8% to 12.5 million in August from 10.1 million in July, according to preliminary data compiled by the rural development ministry.The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, which came into effect in July, replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.Also read: New rural job scheme VB-G RAM-G pays 10% more than MGNREGAIn August, 15.4 million people sought work under VB-G RAM G compared with 12.5 million in July.Among states, Andhra Pradesh reported the highest number of job-seekers under the scheme at 3 million, followed by Tamil Nadu (2 million), Rajasthan (1.3 million), Karnataka (1.3 million) and Uttar Pradesh (1 million).The new law seeks to strengthen rural livelihoods, improve the quality of public assets and bring greater technology-driven implementation to the employment guarantee programme.It raised the guaranteed days of employment to 125 a year from 100. The minimum daily wage is ₹300.