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Politics
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Defends Renaming of MGNREGA to VB G RAM G
✍️ newsonair.gov.in
🗓 03 Sep 2026, 09:47 PM
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Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the recent change of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act’s name to ‘VB G RAM G’ is justified and will not affect the scheme’s objectives.
The central government announced that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will be renamed as “VB G RAM G”. The decision, unveiled earlier this week, has sparked debate among policymakers and beneficiaries alike. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who heads the Ministry of Rural Development, addressed the controversy in a press briefing on Thursday.
Chouhan emphasized that the new nomenclature does not alter the core provisions of the scheme, which guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households. He argued that the change reflects a broader effort to modernise the programme’s branding and to align it with contemporary development narratives.
While the minister dismissed concerns that the renaming could cause confusion among workers, he assured that all existing contracts and entitlements will continue unchanged. Analysts noted that the move may be aimed at reinforcing political ownership of the flagship rural employment programme ahead of upcoming elections.
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions from state officials and civil‑society groups, some of which have called for a clearer communication strategy to avoid misunderstandings at the grassroots level.
Chouhan emphasized that the new nomenclature does not alter the core provisions of the scheme, which guarantees 100 days of wage employment to rural households. He argued that the change reflects a broader effort to modernise the programme’s branding and to align it with contemporary development narratives.
While the minister dismissed concerns that the renaming could cause confusion among workers, he assured that all existing contracts and entitlements will continue unchanged. Analysts noted that the move may be aimed at reinforcing political ownership of the flagship rural employment programme ahead of upcoming elections.
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions from state officials and civil‑society groups, some of which have called for a clearer communication strategy to avoid misunderstandings at the grassroots level.