In its first month, VB-G RAM G sees almost 50% year-on-year dip in rural jobs
The introduction of the VB-G RAM G rural job guarantee program in July 2026 saw a significant decline in job creation, marking a 49.94% drop year-on-year compared to the previous month. This decrease occurred as the government shifted from the long-standing MGNREGS to the new VB-G RAM G initiative. As of August 9, only 7.67 crore person-days were generated under VB-G RAM G, which is 49.94% lower than the 15.33 crore person-days created under MGNREGS in July 2025.
The number of households availing the scheme also fell by 51.45% to 68.94 lakh, with 2026 having the lowest number of households and person-days available in the last five years. The decline in employment generation under VB-G RAM G may impact rural demand, given the erratic monsoon affecting agricultural output. The new scheme provides 125 days of wage employment per year, a rise from 100 days under MGNREGS, but the pause during the Kharif sowing season and erratic monsoon rains might be contributing to the job creation slowdown.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
