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VB-G RAM G Bill vs MGNREGA: 5 Key Changes Explained
The Centre has introduced the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, or VB-G RAM G Bill, to replace the two-decade-old MGNREGA. Tabled in the Lok Sabha, the Bill proposes a major overhaul of India’s rural jobs programme, aligning it with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.
While the government calls it a reform, the Opposition says it weakens the rights-based framework of MGNREGA. Here are the five biggest changes explained simply:
1. Guaranteed Workdays Rise to 125, But Access Questioned
The Bill increases guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days per rural household annually. However, critics warn that work may no longer be demand-driven, meaning higher promised days may not translate into actual jobs.
2. Shift From Full Central Funding to 60:40 Model
Unlike MGNREGA, where wages were fully funded by the Centre, the new Bill proposes a 60:40 Centre-State funding split. Opposition parties and even some BJP allies fear poorer states may struggle to pay wages on time.
3. Seasonal Pause During Peak Farming Months
The Bill allows a 60-day pause in employment during sowing and harvesting seasons to address farm labour shortages. Critics say this reduces worker choice and ignores regional agricultural variations.
4. From Demand-Driven to Supply-Driven Jobs
MGNREGA allowed workers to demand employment as a legal right. VB-G RAM G shifts to pre-approved village development plans, raising concerns over centralisation and dilution of the right to work.
5. Limited Work Categories and Renaming Controversy
Work is restricted to four sectors—water security, rural infrastructure, livelihoods, and climate resilience. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme has also sparked political debate.
What It Means
If passed, the VB-G RAM G Bill will mark India’s biggest rural employment reform in 20 years, reshaping how jobs are planned, funded and delivered across villages.
