Verified NREGA job card may be allowed during transition to VB-G Ram G, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Ministry of Rural Development is considering allowing verified MGNREGA job cards for the new Viksit Bharat-Gramin Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 during the transition phase.
• The VB GRAM G Act, which replaces the MGNREGA Act of 2008, was passed by Parliament in December 2025.
• The new law increases guaranteed employment days from 100 to 125 and increases state funding share.
• Approximately 75% of existing job cards have been seeded with Aadhaar and verified through e-KYC.

Detailed Insights:

• The government is expected to implement the VB GRAM G Act soon, giving states six months to formulate schemes in accordance with the new law.
• During the transition, individuals who have completed e-KYC for their MGNREGA job cards will likely be able to continue using them.
• Section 37 of the Act includes transitional provisions, ensuring actions taken under the repealed MGNREGA remain valid if consistent with the new Act.
• The social audit mechanism for works under the new scheme will be strengthened using the Panchayati Raj Ministry’s Panchayat Nirnay app.
• The Act mandates weekly public disclosure of ongoing works and progress at the panchayat level, along with an “e-measurement book” for tracking work progress and wages.

Key Concepts Involved:

• MGNREGA: Aims to enhance livelihood security of households in rural areas of the country by providing at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• e-KYC: Electronic Know Your Customer; the process of verifying the identity of a client electronically.
• Social Audit: A way of measuring, understanding, reporting and ultimately improving an organization's social and ethical performance.