VB-G RAM G: Upgraded NMMS app with face authentication released to stop fake attendance

What was released

Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released an upgraded security version of the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app on 23 October 2026. The app is used to record worker attendance under VB-G RAM G, or Viksit Bharat – Rozgar aur Aajivika Mission (Gramin). According to the ministry, the new version was built with technical support from IIT Madras, AI-based verification and stronger cyber security.

What has changed

The minister said there had been complaints of fake attendance at worksites and of wages being drawn in someone else’s name. To stop this, face authentication was added to the app in March 2026. The new version adds Google Play Integrity with device-level security checks, secure data transmission, measures against cloning and tampering, and liveness detection. This confirms that a real, living worker is in front of the camera, not a dummy or an old photo.

Who benefits

The scheme has been in force in all rural areas since 1 July 2026. According to the minister, work has been carried out at 31.23 lakh worksites in more than 2.41 lakh gram panchayats so far, and over 3.65 crore workers from 2.89 crore rural households have been given employment. About 46 crore person-days have been generated, of which about 40 crore were recorded through face authentication.

What happens without network

The minister assured that no genuine worker will be denied work or wages because of poor network or technical problems. Where there is no network, offline attendance can be recorded as per the set process and uploaded later from an area with network. If an elderly or disabled worker’s face does not match, the mate or field worker can request the exemption mechanism.

How wages reach the worker

According to the ministry, an attendance entry in the app alone is not the basis for payment. AI-based photo de-duplication spots suspicious or repeated photos and automatically holds the wagelist and Fund Transfer Order until checks are done. Technical engineers record the actual physical measurement of work in the electronic Measurement Book (e-MB), which decides the wage amount. The money is then paid directly into the bank account through DBT.

Monitoring and budget

The minister said random spot inspection teams have been sent to districts, and social audit and public disclosure are in place. States have been told to keep a strict watch on suspicious or unauthorised apps and to file criminal cases under the relevant laws in such matters. For 2026-27, the Centre has provided a budget of Rs 95,692 crore, which comes to more than Rs 1.51 lakh crore including the states’ share. A first instalment of Rs 26,126 crore has been released to states and union territories as mother sanction.

Farmer ID progress

At the event, the minister said the target was to create 11 crore Farmer IDs by December 2027, but 10 crore 99 lakh 70 thousand Farmer IDs have already been created. According to him, 30 thousand more IDs will take the country past the 11 crore mark.