‘VB-G RAM G’ In Budget 2026: The biggest change for the rural economy in the Union Budget to be presented on 1 February 2026 is ‘VB-G RAM G’ (Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission- Gramin) is going to come out in the form of a scheme. This ambitious plan will not only change the name of MNREGA, but will also radically change its infrastructure and way of operating.

The objective of VB-G RAM G scheme is to provide rural families with only ‘labor’ Not to give them, but to provide them with ‘livelihood and permanent assets’ To connect with. Under this scheme, ‘Developed India’ Keeping in mind the vision of the Rural Development Authority, a target has been set to modernize the rural infrastructure.

What will be special in Budget 2026?

1. Increase in employment guarantee by 25%: Till now, at least 100 days of work in a year was guaranteed under MNREGA. In the new scheme it has been increased to 125 days. Huge financial allocation is expected for this additional workload in the budget.

2. New funding formula of 60:40: The most controversial and important part of the plan is its funding model. Whereas earlier the Central Government used to bear 100% of the cost of unskilled labour, now 60% of the cost will be borne by the Central and 40% by the State Governments. For North-East and hilly states this ratio will be 90:10. In the budget, special grants can be given to the states to deal with this financial burden.

3. ‘Agricultural Pause’ (Work stopped during farming): This scheme provides for a maximum of 60 days of ‘agricultural pause’ Has been made mandatory. Its objective is to save farmers from labor shortage during sowing and harvesting seasons. There may be provisions in the budget for alternative livelihood support for workers during this period.

4. Digital and AI based surveillance: To stop corruption, this time in the budget ‘Developed India National Rural Infrastructure Stack’ Separate funds can be allocated for. It will use technologies like AI-based fraud detection and GPS monitoring.

Challenges and demands of the states

Opposition ruled states like Telangana and Punjab have already raised objections to the 60:40 formula in pre-Budget meetings. They argue that this will put additional pressure on the state exchequer. It will be a big challenge for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to balance how to implement this ambitious scheme with the cooperation of the states.

Important step in the development of rural India

‘VB-G RAM G’ Plan Not just a name change, but a big step towards empowering rural India digitally and economically. On February 1, it will be interesting to see how the government manages the total expenditure of Rs 1.5 lakh crore estimated for this scheme.