From July 1, the 100-Day Scheme to be implemented as a 125-Day Work Scheme Context: The Union Ministry of Rural Development has informed a Parliamentary Standing Committee that 25 states have already allocated funds for the 125-day work scheme. In place of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (the 100-day work scheme), the 'VP- Ramji Bill' (a 125-day work scheme) was passed in Parliament last December. Following the assent granted by President Droupadi Murmu, the bill officially became law. Under this new legislation, the duration of the work scheme has been extended from 100 days to 125 days. Funding Sharing Mechanism In states and Union Territories possessing a legislative assembly, the Central Government will bear 60 percent of the funding for this scheme, while the respective State and Union Territory governments will bear the remaining 40 percent. For the eastern states, as well as the Himalayan region—specifically Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir—the Central Government will contribute 90 percent of the scheme's funding, with the respective State governments contributing the remaining 10 percent. In this context, a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj was held in New Delhi. The 125-day work scheme is scheduled to be implemented starting July 1st. Twenty-five states have already allocated funds for this initiative. All necessary administrative and policy-related measures for the scheme have been set in motion. New Cards Featuring Facial Recognition Furthermore, it was announced that new 'Smart Work Cards' will be issued for the 125-day work scheme, replacing the work cards previously issued for the 100-day scheme. Officials stated that, in order to ensure transparency and accountability within this program, these new work cards will feature a specialized facial recognition capability for identification purposes. India highlighted lung health…
