President Droupadi Murmu granted assent to the controversial Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill on Sunday. The Bill, which was passed in Parliament amidst protests from the Opposition, replaces the erstwhile MGNREGA.
According to the government, the new scheme aims to establish a rural development framework aligned with the national vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'. Under the new law, rural households are guaranteed 125 days of employment per year, 25 days more than the previous Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
In a statement, the ministry of rural development said, "The Act replaces the MGNREGA, 2005 with a modern statutory framework that enhances livelihood security and is aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047." Under the new law, states have to contribute 40 per cent cost of the scheme.
The ministry said the new law "strengthens income security for rural households, modernises governance and accountability, and links wage employment with the creation of durable and productive rural assets, thereby laying the foundation for a prosperous and resilient Rural Bharat".
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The VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, was passed by Parliament, amid opposition protests. The Congress slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government's move and termed the bill "draconian". Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh charged the Centre has overturned two decades of progress without consultation and by sidestepping all Parliamentary convention and procedure.
In a video message, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said, "20 years ago, when Dr. Manmohan Singh ji was the Prime Minister, the MGNREGA law was passed in Parliament by consensus. It was such a revolutionary step, the benefits of which reached crores of rural families."
Gandhi said MGNREGA was a source of livelihood for the "deprived, the exploited, the poor, and the extremely poor". "Not only was Mahatma Gandhi’s name removed, but the form and structure of MGNREGA were arbitrarily changed without any discussion, without consulting anyone, and without taking the Opposition into confidence. The Modi government has attacked the interests of crores of farmers, labourers, and the poor, landless rural population of the country," she said.