57 lakh active workers await e-KYC under new job scheme, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Approximately 57 lakh active workers are yet to complete e-KYC verification under the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) scheme.
• The overall e-KYC verification rate for registered workers under the scheme stands at 71%.
• Employment generation under VB-G RAM G in July 2026 was 7.67 crore person-days, a 49.94% decrease compared to MGNREGS in July last year.
• The government had set multiple deadlines for e-KYC completion, including January 30 and the end of February, which were not met.

Detailed Insights:

• The VB-G RAM G scheme was launched two months prior to the article's publication, aiming to provide rural employment.
• Workers with e-KYC verification under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) are eligible for the new scheme.
• Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had assured that existing e-KYC verified job cards would remain valid.
• The Ministry has allowed exceptions for some unverified job cards while making e-KYC a condition for availing work under VB-G RAM G.
• Tamil Nadu shows the highest e-KYC rate among large states, with 99.32% for active workers and 84.89% for all registered workers.
• Bihar reported one of the lowest e-KYC rates for all registered workers among large states, at 58.05%.

Key Concepts Involved:

• e-KYC: Electronic Know Your Customer, a digital process for verifying the identity of a customer.
• Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G): A new rural employment scheme launched by the Indian government.
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): A social security measure that guarantees the 'right to work' to rural households.
• Person-day: A unit of measurement representing the amount of work performed by one person in a single working day.