Employment In India

VB-G RAM G Act to come into force from July 1; Centre says all ready

The Viksit Bharat -- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 will come into force from July 1, with the Centre on Tuesday stating that all arrangements have been made for its implementation. The Ministry of Rural Development said the Act provides a statutory guarantee of up to 125 days of wage employment to eligible rural households, compared to the 100 days provided under the existing rural employment framework. The ministry said an interim allocation of Rs 95,692.31 crore has been made to states and Union Territories to ensure a smooth transition, timely wage payments and uninterrupted implementation of works under the new framework. Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the government's priority was to ensure that "no eligible rural worker remains without work even for a single day". He said the Centre and states had worked together to complete administrative, financial and technical preparations for the rollout. The government said ...

Monsoon challenge puts VB G RAM G's performance under the spotlight

As MGNREGA comes to a close, both critics and supporters keenly eye VB G RAM G's performance

Why India's employment question now turns on permanence and retention

India needs nearly 7.85 million non-farm jobs annually; the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana seeks to boost formal employment through incentives and retention

Era of software, MBA advantage over; equip yourself with trade skills: CEA

India's Chief Economic Adviser urges youth to prioritise skills that remain valuable amid technological changes over traditional career paths

India pushes labour mobility, skill-recognition pacts at Geneva conference

Talks with advanced economies focused on skilled-worker mobility, mutual recognition of qualifications, social protection and employment generation

Centre announces ₹95,692 crore interim allocation under VB-G RAM G

The interim allocation comes ahead of the formal launch of VB-G RAM G on July 1, 2026, across the country

India's April unemployment rate increases to 5.2%, shows govt data

A Reuters poll had projected the April unemployment rate at 5.2%

Industry must rethink talent pitch if it can't attract youth: MCA Secy

MCA Secretary Deepti Gaur Mukerjee said companies must reflect on the quality of internships and workplace appeal under the Prime Minister Internship Scheme

VB-G RAM G replacing MGNREGA to come into force across India from July 1

The Centre has notified the VB-G RAM G Act, replacing MGNREGA from July 1, 2026, with a 125 day rural employment guarantee and expanded infrastructure creation mandate

Women-led households linked to better quality jobs: SBI Research

SBI Research analysis of PLFS 2025 data found women-headed households are associated with higher regular wage employment and lower dependence on casual labour

PMEGP scheme creates 3.6 mn jobs, boosts micro-enterprises: MSME ministry

The MSME ministry said PMEGP created 3.6 million jobs and helped set up over 400,000 micro-enterprises during the 15th Finance Commission period, with strong focus on rural areas

Labour Codes face friction from state law overlaps, says experts

Overlaps between Labour Codes and state laws on working hours, leave and overtime may create compliance uncertainty, especially for firms operating across multiple states

In open letter to PM, Bernstein flags structural risks to India's growth

Global brokerage Bernstein cautions India may under-deliver on growth potential without reforms, flagging risks from AI disruption, weak manufacturing gains and rising welfare spending

It's 'jobs first' in Panapakkam: Locals push for hiring, better facilities

Industrial projects lift Panapakkam's profile, but locals demand jobs, storage facilities and water security as key election issues

Improving job quality: India needs to generate more productive employment

Revamped PLFS offers sharper labour data, but reveals a deeper concern-India's workforce remains trapped in low-quality jobs with weak wage growth

ISF elects new leadership as contract staffing expands across sectors

Indian Staffing Federation names new leadership for 2026-28 as contract staffing expands across sectors, supported by rising demand and policy engagement

84% employers looking to sustain or increase their workforce in H1FY27

Hiring sentiment improves across sectors, with most employers planning workforce expansion or stability, even as cost pressures from labour codes reshape compensation strategies

Best of BS Opinion: Job crisis and oil shocks converge on India's economy

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Many Opposition-ruled states have provisioned VB G RAM G funds: Chouhan

Chouhan also said that the Opposition's protest against VB G RAM G has failed to garner any public support because the country has accepted it as a better scheme than its previous version (MGNREGA)

India expands higher education access, but jobs gap remains: Report

India has made substantial progress in expanding access to higher education for youth in the last four decades, helping them move from agriculture to industry and services, and reduced gender and caste-based disparities, a report said. However, the 'State of Working India 2026' report stated that the challenges remain and the extent to which the large, increasingly educated, and aspirational cohort is absorbed into the labour market will determine whether India's demographic dividend translates into an economic dividend. India has made substantial progress in expanding access to higher education for its young (15- to 29-year-old) population, ensuring a movement out of agriculture into industry and services, and reduced gender and caste-based disparities, it stated. "More young people today are educated, informed, and ambitious than ever before. These are real achievements of which we can be proud," noted Indu Prasad, President, Azim Premji University in a statement. The report dra