The Union Rural Development Ministry has clarified that the transition of workers from the earlier rural employment framework to the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), known as VB-G RAM G, is complete for all registered workers. Importantly, the Ministry has stated that pending electronic Know Your Customer verification will not stop any worker from demanding or receiving employment under the scheme.
Clear Assurance on Employment Access
In an official statement, the Ministry emphasised that every worker previously registered under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has been migrated to the new system. This migration applies irrespective of whether the e-KYC process on their job cards has been completed. Pending verification, the Ministry said, does not prevent a worker from exercising the statutory right to demand work or from being provided employment.
An appropriate exception mechanism has been put in place to ensure that workers whose e-KYC remains incomplete can still demand work and be assigned employment. The clarification was issued to address concerns that incomplete verification might create barriers to accessing the employment guarantee.
Progress on Verification
According to the figures shared by the Ministry, e-KYC has been completed for 15.89 crore workers in total. Among active workers—those who have taken up work at least once in recent years—the completion rate stands at approximately 95 percent, covering 10.27 crore out of 10.84 crore active workers. While a residual number of active workers still await verification, the government has treated this as a process issue rather than a condition that blocks employment rights.
The Ministry described e-KYC as a database authentication measure intended to strengthen the accuracy and credibility of worker records. It noted that the process is straightforward and can ordinarily be completed in less than 30 seconds. Responsibility for completing the verification rests with the concerned State and Union Territory governments. The Centre has urged these administrations to expedite the remaining cases so that the database becomes fully updated.
Context of the New Scheme
VB-G RAM G came into force across the country from 1 July 2026, replacing the earlier employment guarantee framework. The new law raises the guaranteed number of days of wage employment from 100 to 125 days in a financial year for every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. The scheme places emphasis on works related to water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related assets and measures that help communities cope with extreme weather.
During the transition, existing works were carried forward and employment records were preserved. The government’s position has been that the shift should not interrupt the availability of work or the payment of wages. The latest clarification reinforces that message by separating the administrative goal of complete e-KYC from the legal right of workers to demand employment.
Employment Offered So Far
The Ministry also reported that every worker who has demanded employment under the new framework has been offered work in accordance with that demand. Around 2.11 crore workers have so far been provided employment opportunities under VB-G RAM G. This figure indicates that the system is operational and that demand is being met even while the remaining verification cases are being processed.
Why the Clarification Matters
Rural employment schemes function as a critical safety net for millions of households. Any perception that procedural requirements could block access to work creates anxiety among workers and implementing agencies. By stating clearly that pending e-KYC does not bar employment, the Centre has sought to remove uncertainty and ensure that the statutory guarantee remains effective on the ground.
At the same time, the push for complete verification reflects a longer-term objective of maintaining a clean and reliable database. Accurate records help prevent duplication, improve targeting and support timely wage payments. The exception mechanism is intended to bridge the period until verification is finished without leaving eligible workers without options.
Role of States and Union Territories
Implementation of e-KYC and the day-to-day delivery of work rest largely with State and Union Territory governments. The Centre’s advisory to expedite verification places the onus on these administrations to clear the remaining backlog. Variations in progress across States have been visible, with some achieving very high rates of completion among active workers while others continue to process larger numbers of pending cases.
Effective coordination between the Centre and the States will determine how quickly the residual verification is completed. Local officials at the gram panchayat level play a practical role in assisting workers to complete the process and in ensuring that demands for work are registered and met without delay.
Maintaining the Employment Guarantee
The core principle of the rural employment framework remains the legal entitlement of households to demand work and receive it within a stipulated period, failing which unemployment allowance becomes payable. The Ministry’s statement reaffirms that this entitlement is not contingent on the completion of e-KYC. Authentication measures are positioned as tools to improve system integrity rather than as gates that can deny the right itself.
For workers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: those who need employment can continue to demand it, and implementing agencies are expected to provide work even if verification formalities are still pending in individual cases. For administrators, the message is to accelerate the remaining e-KYC processes while ensuring that the employment guarantee operates without interruption.
Looking Ahead
The transition to VB-G RAM G represents a significant redesign of India’s rural employment architecture, with an expanded guarantee of days and a sharper focus on certain categories of works. Smooth delivery during the early months is essential for building confidence in the new system. The Centre’s clarification on migration of all registered workers and the non-mandatory character of pending e-KYC for employment is an important step toward that goal.
As States work to complete verification and as demand for work continues, the effectiveness of the exception mechanism and the speed of database updation will be closely watched. The ultimate measure of success will be whether eligible rural households can access the guaranteed days of employment without procedural obstacles standing in their way.
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