Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-GRAM G)
GS: GS PAPER II — Social Policy & Employment | GS PAPER III — Rural Development
Rural employment guarantee scheme replacing MGNREGA from July 2026, incorporating digital authentication and transparent governance.
Key Points
- Implemented from 1 July 2026, replacing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
- Administered by Ministry of Rural Development
- Objective: Guaranteed wage employment and sustainable rural livelihoods
- Coverage: Rural households seeking unskilled wage employment
- Digital authentication via e-KYC and Aadhaar-based beneficiary verification
- Face Recognition System (FRS) for attendance and verification
- Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Card replaces earlier Job Card
- End-to-end digital monitoring and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) payments
- Executed by Gram Panchayats with support from State Governments
- Transparency: Digital record-keeping, geo-tagging of assets, social audits, online grievance redressal
- 2026 concern: Workers deleted from beneficiary lists due to pending e-KYC/FRS, raising digital exclusion issues
Exam Significance
- Modernises rural employment guarantee through digital infrastructure
- Reduces leakages and improves targeting of benefits
- Strengthens transparency and community accountability
- Addresses concerns about digital equity and inclusion challenges
Prelims MCQ
With reference to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-GRAM G), consider the following statements: 1. It replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from July 2026. 2. It is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development. 3. It mandates the use of digital authentication such as e-KYC and Face Recognition System (FRS) for beneficiary management. Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
All three statements are correct. VB-GRAM G replaced MGNREGS from 1 July 2026, is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development, and incorporates digital authentication mechanisms including e-KYC and FRS for beneficiary verification.
