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VB-G Ram G to introduce new daily wage system for persons with disabilities, women and senior citizens
Workers who are persons with disabilities will reportedly not be required to work fixed hours to receive their full daily wage.
The Viksit Bharat - Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G Ram G) is scheduled to come into force from July 1, with the central government set to roll out a separate daily wage system for women, persons with disabilities, elderly workers and those with debilitating ailments under this act.
The VB-G Ram G act will introduce a special schedule of rates for vulnerable groups. "A separate Schedule of Rates shall be finalised for women, the elderly, persons with disabilities and persons with debilitating ailments to facilitate their productive participation in suitable categories of work," the provision reads in the act.
The differentiated SoR will allow workers to receive their full notified wage without being disadvantaged.
According to the Act, the SoR shall be framed such that an adult person working for eight hours, including one hour of rest, can earn the same amount as the notified wage rate. "Working hours of an adult worker may be flexible but shall not extend beyond 12 hours in a day, including intervals for rest," the act adds.
However, the guidelines for people with disabilities extend further. PwD workers will not be required to work fixed hours to receive their full daily wage, two senior officials were cited as saying by Mint.
Work will be assigned to them based on individual capabilities and physical conditions, the officials reportedly said, adding that PwD workers will also be shifted more toward supervisory, support and livelihood-oriented roles than toward labour-intensive work.
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Under the new structure, households with people with disabilities will also be prioritised for beneficiary-oriented assets, with work being assigned closer to their homes.
Rural development secretary Rohit Kansal was quoted by Mint as saying, "Through dedicated provisions for Divyangjan, including Divyangjan-friendly employment opportunities, priority livelihood assets and a separate Schedule of Rates aligned with individual capacities, the Act seeks to ensure dignity, economic security and meaningful participation."
A Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Card will also be issued to workers. For persons with disabilities, single women, senior citizens, and transgender persons, a Special Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Card will be sought, according to the VB-G Ram G act.
The specific schedule of rates for PwDs are yet to be finalised.
Nikhil Dey, co-founder of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), was quoted as saying, "It's a very good idea to have a different vertical for people with disabilities, with work and employment appropriate to their abilities."
According to Dey, the main challenge would be faced in the funding and design departments. He said that ensuring sufficient money, training, and proper work planning so that tasks are assigned to PwD workers according to their abilities, not as per the productivity norms for able-bodied persons.
"This was not done under MGNREA. If it were done under VB-G Ram G, it would mean that this year's allocation would translate roughly to ₹5,000 crore," he added.
A Bangalore-based disability rights expert, however, pointed out that the Centre must first identify the PwD population in rural areas and know who is who. "There should also be a clear definition and identification process for beneficiaries. Otherwise, the initiative could meet the same fate as many other welfare schemes run by the state and central government," said Shameer Rishad, the activist, as per Mint.
Earlier this year, the central government notified the VB- G Ram G Act, 2025, across all the rural areas of the country.
According to the government, the law has been enacted to establish a future-ready rural development framework that integrates livelihood security with productivity, convergence, resilience, and sustainable asset creation, in alignment with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
