FREE PREVIEW Week 2-3 3 lessons

Government Schemes & Social Sector 2025

Farm and rural schemes, the new rural employment law that replaced MGNREGA, the four Labour Codes, pension and gig-worker measures, and initiatives in education, research and welfare.

Lessons in this module

Farmers and Rural India: Schemes and the VB-G RAM G Act

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

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Workers and Employees: Labour Codes, Gig Workers and Pensions

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

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Education, Research, Health and Sport Policy

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

Read notes ↓

Lesson notes

1. Farmers and Rural India: Schemes and the VB-G RAM G Act

Agriculture and rural employment saw major changes in 2025. The Budget announced new farm missions, and in December Parliament replaced the 20-year-old MGNREGA with a new rural employment law.

Farm schemes announced in Budget 2025-26

PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana: to cover 100 districts with low farm productivity, in partnership with states.
Its aims include higher productivity, crop diversification, better post-harvest storage and easier credit for farmers.
A six-year mission for self-reliance (Aatmanirbharta) in pulses, with special focus on tur (arhar), urad and masoor.
A Makhana Board to be set up in Bihar for production, processing and marketing of makhana (fox nut).
Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loan limit raised from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, benefiting about 7.7 crore farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers.

VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 (replaces MGNREGA)

Full name: Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025.
Passed by Parliament in December 2025 and given Presidential assent on 21 December 2025.
It replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA).
Guaranteed work rises from 100 to 125 days per year for each rural household whose adult members do unskilled manual work.
Funding is shared 60:40 between the Centre and states (90:10 for north-eastern and Himalayan states).
The government said it links rural jobs with building durable assets; opposition parties criticised dropping Mahatma Gandhi's name and the extra cost burden on states.

Other rural and welfare news

On 1 November 2025, the Kerala government declared Kerala the first state in India to eradicate extreme poverty.
The Budget also proposed a second national gene bank with 10 lakh germplasm lines, for future food and nutrition security.
Rs 1.5 lakh crore was provided for 50-year interest-free loans to states for capital spending and reforms.

Quick facts

PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana: 100 low-productivity districts
Pulses mission: 6 years; tur, urad, masoor
Makhana Board: Bihar
KCC limit: Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh
VB-G RAM G Act: Assent 21 Dec 2025; replaces MGNREGA
Guaranteed rural work: 125 days (was 100)
Extreme poverty free: Kerala (declared 1 Nov 2025)

💡 MGNREGA (2005) gave 100 days; VB-G RAM G (2025) gives 125 days. Know both numbers.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

2. Workers and Employees: Labour Codes, Gig Workers and Pensions

2025 brought the biggest change to India's labour laws in decades. The four Labour Codes, passed by Parliament in 2019 and 2020, finally came into force. Gig workers and central government employees also got new measures.

Four Labour Codes in force (21 November 2025)

The government brought all four Labour Codes into force from 21 November 2025.
The four Codes are: the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
Together they replace 29 central labour laws.
The government said the Codes simplify compliance and extend social security; several trade unions protested against them.

Gig and platform workers

Budget 2025-26 announced identity cards and registration on the e-Shram portal for gig workers on online platforms.
They will get health cover under the Ayushman Bharat – PM Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
About one crore gig workers were expected to benefit.
The Code on Social Security, 2020 is the first central law to define 'gig worker' and 'platform worker'.

Pensions and employees

The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) for central government employees became effective from 1 April 2025, as an option under the National Pension System.
UPS promises an assured pension of 50% of the average basic pay of the last 12 months for employees with at least 25 years of service.
Budget 2025-26 also raised the annual TDS limit on rent from Rs 2.4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh, easing compliance for small landlords and tenants.

Quick facts

Labour Codes in force: 21 November 2025
Number of Codes: 4 (replace 29 central laws)
Code on Wages: 2019 (other three are 2020)
Gig workers: e-Shram registration + PM-JAY health cover
Unified Pension Scheme: Effective 1 April 2025
UPS assured pension: 50% of last 12 months' average basic pay (25 years' service)

💡 Only the Code on Wages is from 2019; the other three Labour Codes are from 2020.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

3. Education, Research, Health and Sport Policy

This lesson covers 2025 initiatives in education, research and health, and the new national law on sports governance. These topics are often asked in state-level and SSC exams.

Education and research

Budget 2025-26 announced 10,000 PM Research Fellowships for research in IITs and IISc over the next five years.
It also provided Rs 20,000 crore to support private-sector-driven research, development and innovation.
CBSE decided in 2025 to hold Class 10 board examinations twice a year from the 2025-26 academic year, to reduce exam pressure on students.
Dr K. Kasturirangan, who chaired the committee that drafted the National Education Policy 2020, died on 25 April 2025 in Bengaluru.

Health news

India's first case of HMPV (human metapneumovirus) in 2025 was reported in Bengaluru in early January 2025; the Health Ministry said there was no cause for alarm.
Gig workers were brought under PM-JAY health cover (Budget 2025-26).
The Census 2027 will collect data digitally, which will help plan health and welfare schemes.

National Sports Governance Act, 2025

Passed by the Lok Sabha on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha on 12 August 2025; Presidential assent on 18 August 2025.
It creates a National Sports Board to recognise and regulate national sports federations.
It sets up a National Sports Tribunal to settle sports disputes; appeals go to the Supreme Court.
A National Sports Election Panel will oversee elections to sports bodies.
Only recognised sports bodies that receive government funding or support come under the RTI Act; this amendment keeps the BCCI outside RTI.

Quick facts

PM Research Fellowships: 10,000 (IITs and IISc)
CBSE Class 10: Two board exams a year from 2025-26 session
NEP 2020 committee head: K. Kasturirangan (died 25 April 2025)
National Sports Governance Act: Assent 18 Aug 2025
New sports bodies: National Sports Board, National Sports Tribunal, Election Panel

💡 For any new law on an institution, list the bodies it creates. Exams often ask 'Which body is NOT created by the Act?'

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

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