The West Bengal government will resume the rural employment scheme under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen) Act in all districts of the state, barring Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas, where allegations of irregularities in its implementation are being investigated.
The Indian government has announced the replacement of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, effective July 1. The new scheme aims to expand guaranteed wage employment and link it more closely with infrastructure development and climate resilience, but faces concerns from opposition parties and labour rights activists.
The Centre has notified draft rules for the Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, outlining the framework for the new rural employment programme replacing MGNREGA. The draft rules are open for public feedback until June 21, 2026.
The Centre has announced that the Viksit Bharat -- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act will come into force across the country from July 1, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the historic bill providing 100 days employment guarantee to every rural household in the country.
The Punjab Cabinet has approved a series of measures aimed at enhancing public safety through forensic science upgrades and boosting rural incomes with a new farm stay policy.
National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill moved in Lok Sabha
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, will be applicable to whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir, an official release said.
India's unemployment rate reached an 11-month high of 5.5 per cent in May, up from 5.2 per cent in April, according to the National Statistics Office, indicating a softening labour market as labour-force participation also eased.
The Assam cabinet has decided to restrict the issuance of Aadhaar cards to individuals over 18 years of age, a move aimed at preventing illegal immigrants from acquiring the document. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that exceptions would require district commissioner proposals and state government approval, with a complete ban for all communities over 18 set for April 1, 2027.
'India cannot speak of a demographic dividend if half its young women are unable to participate in paid work.'
Gujarat's "Operation Delta Hunt" has led to the apprehension of over 600 undocumented Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children, across various districts. The state-wide drive, which began on June 3, uses technical surveillance and human intelligence to identify and detain illegal immigrants, with authorities also investigating those who provide them accommodation or employment without verification.
'You empower a man, you are not necessarily empowering a family, you are just empowering him.'
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued a comprehensive advisory to all states and Union Territories, recommending mandatory annual POSH audits and other measures to strengthen the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The advisory aims to ensure safe, inclusive, and gender-sensitive working environments for women across all sectors, emphasising institutional accountability, proper committee constitution, and robust awareness programmes.
Aligarh resident Habib Saifi has built a small hut-like structure on his bike to protect himself from direct sunlight during this intense summer.
Tata Motors' commercial vehicle (CV) business is strategically repositioning itself from a traditional truck manufacturer to a comprehensive logistics and mobility platform, aiming to reduce dependence on cyclical vehicle demand by accelerating growth in digital, international, and services segments.
'MGNREGA was about a guaranteed right to work.' 'The new law does not guarantee employment at all.' 'It removes everything that made MGNREGA a legal guarantee.'
Cash remains dominant for many transactions despite continued expansion in digital payments across the country.
Timely payment under the MGNREGA is essential as it is a demand-driven scheme.
Few leaders since Independence have been able to establish such a direct connection with the electorate or shape the national conversation to the extent that Narendra Modi has done over the past decade, points out former Union minister Dr Karan Singh.
The Supreme Court has declared the right to walk on demarcated footpaths a fundamental right, prioritising it over motorised vehicle movement, and has called for the establishment of a regulatory body to ensure its enforcement and provide restitutionary remedies for violations.
The Union cabinet has approved a bill to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and increase the number of work days under the scheme.
It has raised rural consumption, created new markets and shored up growth when investment falters.
President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, which aims to replace MGNREGA and guarantee 125 days of wage employment per rural household.
Punjab Police have successfully traced and returned over 12,000 lost mobile phones to their owners in the past year, utilising technical and data analysis. The recoveries, estimated to be worth between Rs 15 to Rs 20 crore, were made possible through initiatives like the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR).
Bihar's greatest resource is not beneath its soil but above it -- its people. With a population approaching 140 million and one of India's youngest demographic profiles, Bihar possesses an asset many societies would envy, explains Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
The total expenditure on the MGNREGA programme, as per the revised estimates from 2025-26, was Rs 88,000 crore, while initially, a sum of Rs 86,000 crore was allocated.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lost his cool and shouted at Youth Congress workers who raised slogans in favor of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar during a protest rally. The incident highlights the ongoing power dynamics within the Karnataka Congress.
'Previously, contributing only 25 per cent of material costs, states now face burdens of 40 per cent to 100 per cent of total costs, ensuring poorer states will curb project approvals, directly stifling work demand.'
India's unincorporated non-agricultural sector, excluding construction and corporate enterprises, added approximately 7.5 million workers in a single year, reaching 128.1 million employed in 2025, according to the NSO's ASUSE 2025 report.
The Uttar Pradesh government announced it has paid a record Rs 3,21,963 crore to sugarcane growers since 2017, emphasising on-time payments and direct transfers to farmers' accounts. The government highlighted initiatives like farm loan waivers and the 'Smart Ganna Kisan' system for online sugarcane management.
Civil society groups, led by the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, are planning a nationwide protest -- similar to the farmers' stir a few years ago -- starting December 19 demanding scrapping of the new Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has announced a 60-day mass outreach program targeting Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe-majority assembly constituencies in West Bengal, accusing the BJP of depriving the state of funds and disrespecting marginalized communities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the ruling TMC in West Bengal, alleging corruption and appeasement politics, while promoting the BJP's development agenda ahead of the assembly elections.
India's unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 and older increased to 5.1 per cent in March 2026, up from 4.9 per cent in February, primarily due to a rise in joblessness in urban areas, according to government data.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
Opposition members strongly opposed the proposed legislation at the introduction stage and pressed for sending the bill to a parliamentary panel for greater scrutiny. The MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi of the Congress, strongly objected to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name.
A bill to repeal the MGNREGA and introduce a new rural employment law, the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), has been circulated among Lok Sabha members.
If TVK MLAs and ministers are perceived as clean, or demonstrably cleaner than their predecessors, the credibility dividend will be enormous. The voter will feel rewarded, points out Ramesh Menon.
'Workers are the people who create all the wealth in this country. How can you call them anti-national?'
