VB—G RAM G Act, 2025

Context: The Central Government has announced that the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB–G RAM G, will replace MGNREGA starting July 1, 2026.

About VB—G RAM G Act, 2025:

What it is?

• The Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, 2025 is a comprehensive rural employment and development legislation that replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005. It provides a legal guarantee for unskilled wage employment while shifting the program’s focus toward creating productive, future-ready rural assets aligned with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.

Aim:

• The mission aims to foster long-term financial resilience and sustainable rural development. It seeks to transition from mere survival-based employment to livelihood-linked asset creation through a convergence-based planning model.

Key Features of the Act:

• Enhanced Employment Guarantee: Increases the statutory guarantee from 100 days to 125 days of unskilled manual work per financial year for every rural household.
• Centrally Sponsored Fund Sharing:
  • 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan States.
  • 60:40 for other States and UTs with legislatures.
  • 100% Central funding for UTs without legislatures.
• Agricultural Season Pause: To ensure labor availability for farming, states must notify a 60-day pause period annually during peak sowing and harvesting seasons when works will not be undertaken.
• Thematic Work Domains: Projects are restricted to four key areas:

• 1. Water Security.
  2. Core Rural Infrastructure.
  3. Livelihood Infrastructure.
  4. Extreme Weather Mitigation.
• Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan (VGPP): A single-plan, multi-funding approach where works must originate from a participatory, evidence-based plan integrated with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
• Technology Integration:

• 1. Face authentication-based attendance for workers.
  2. Biometric authentication for all financial transactions.
  3. Geospatial technology for real-time monitoring and tracking.
• Safeguards for Workers:
  1. Unemployment Allowance: If work is not provided within 15 days of demand.
  2. Transport Allowance: Extra 10% of the wage rate if work is beyond a 5 km radius.
  3. Weekly Payments: Wages must be paid weekly, or at most within 14 days, directly via DBT.

Significance:

• By increasing the guaranteed days and ensuring timely DBT payments, it provides a stronger safety net for the rural poor.
• Unlike the often temporary nature of MGNREGA works, VB-G RAM G focuses on high-impact, durable infrastructure that aids long-term rural growth.