New Delhi: India's revamped rural jobs programme is emerging as an early driver of women's economic participation, with them contributing nearly two-thirds of the work generated in the scheme's first three weeks, according to government officials and data reviewed by Mint. The development can be attributed to the scheme's expanded and more inclusive framework, which has opened up new avenues beyond manual labour, the officials said.
Women accounted for over 63% of the 4.62 crore person-days generated under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAM G) during 1-20 July, the first 20 days of rollout. A ‘person-day’ here means one person employed for one day. So, if 100 workers are employed for 10 days each, it generates 1,000 person-days of employment under the scheme.
The data for women's participation in July 2025 under the erstwhile Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is not available. In the entire financial year 2026, women accounted for 57.3% of the total person-days, the data showed.
For context, in July 2025, MGNREGA had generated 201.78 lakh person-days of employment, and this year, it generated 174.35 in April, 274.01 lakh in May and 292.95 lakh in June before the revamped scheme was adopted.
According to the data, the states where women's participation has exceeded the national average include Kerala (participation was 89%), Tamil Nadu (87%), Rajasthan (74%), Himachal Pradesh (70%), Assam (67%), Manipur (65%) and Andhra Pradesh (64%).
Under the revamped scheme, women are taking up leadership roles, with around 61% worksites appointing them as supervisors (or mates) for strengthening workplace monitoring and community engagement.
The expanded work framework includes roles such as worksite supervisors, participation in social audits and employment in managing nurseries, compost and vermi-compost units, self-help group (SHG) infrastructure, storage facilities and rural haats, among others.
In response to an email query, Rohit Kansal, secretary in the rural development ministry said, "With women contributing over 63% of the total person days generated so far and assuming leadership roles as ‘mates’ at a large number of worksites, VB GRAM G is emerging as a strong platform for women's economic empowerment and grassroots leadership."
"This momentum is being reinforced through policy measures that address the practical barriers to women's participation. The VB GRAM G Act incorporates a dedicated childcare provision, under which a woman worker is appointed and paid at the prescribed wage rate at worksites where five or more children below the age of five are present," he added.
By integrating childcare and support with employment, the framework seeks to make rural public works more inclusive, gender-responsive and conducive to sustained participation of women in the workforce.
Under the VB-GRAM G scheme, the statutory employment guarantee has been expanded to 125 days from 100 days under MGNREGA. Under MGNREGA, the Central government bore 100% of the wage costs, or bulk of the expenditure, and states contributed 25% of the material costs. However, under the new norms, the Centre will fund only 60% of the total cost in most states, and 90% in north-eastern and Himalayan states; with states funding the balance.
The national average notified daily wage has been raised from ₹298.8 under the erstwhile MGNREGA to ₹327.4 under VB–G RAM G, representing an average increase of ₹28.6 per day. The minimum notified wage under the scheme is ₹300 per day.
Early trends suggest the programme is evolving beyond a wage-employment scheme into a community-led initiative that promotes women's economic empowerment and participation in rural governance, the officials said.
The government officials cited above said women supervisors are playing a key role in digital governance by using face-authentication systems to record attendance and manage e-KYC, helping improve beneficiary identification, transparency and accountability.
The rural job plan also has other welfare benefits: every worksite must provide clean drinking water, shaded rest areas and first-aid kits. The law also guarantees free medical treatment for workers injured on duty, including hospitalization, medicines, accommodation and a daily allowance equal to half the wage rate. In cases of death or permanent disability, ex gratia compensation will be provided under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
The law also provides a legal guarantee for worksite facilities, ensuring dignity, safety and social security for all workers, including women. These measures are aimed at creating a safer and more supportive working environment, which has resulted in higher participation, the officials said.
VB-GRAM G, notified earlier this year, marks the government's attempt to recast India's rural employment architecture by combining wage employment with livelihood creation, rural infrastructure development and asset generation.
The scheme strengthens transparency through mandatory Janata Boards displaying project details, weekly public disclosures, geo-tagging of assets, real-time monitoring dashboards, mobile-based inspections and enhanced social audits. These measures aim to improve public oversight and accountability in rural employment work implementation.
Now, for durable outcomes
Experts say the encouraging early trends on women's participation must now be backed by consistent implementation to ensure the scheme delivers durable livelihoods rather than short-term employment.
“The early numbers are promising and reflect the growing willingness of rural women to participate in the workforce when employment opportunities are backed by better wages and supportive worksite conditions. But participation alone should not be the benchmark for success,” said Ashish Kumar Singh, president of Citizen Forum, a civil rights group in Bihar.
“The scheme's long-term impact will depend on whether it improves household incomes, creates productive community assets and delivers timely wages with adequate transparency," Singh said.
"The early trend suggests that the scheme is creating opportunities for women beyond traditional wage labour. If the initial trends continue and are supported by timely payments and quality implementation, VB–GRAM G could become an important instrument for strengthening women's economic participation in rural India," said Rakesh Arrawatia, professor at the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and dean at School of Cooperative Banking and Finance.
The Centre has allocated ₹95,692.31 crore for the VB-G RAM G scheme in FY27, up from the record ₹86,000 crore provided for MGNREGA in FY25, a level retained in the FY26 budget.
The early employment trends in the rural job scheme come against the backdrop of rural households reporting the weakest income momentum since state-run National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) began tracking economic conditions nearly two years ago. According to the latest Rural Economic Conditions and Sentiments Survey (Round 12, July 2026), showed that the dependence on informal sources of credit had increased, pointing to emerging stress in rural finances even as consumption remained relatively resilient, Mint reported last week.