MGNREGA Replaced
President gives assent to new rural jobs bill VB-G RAM G
This story was originally published at 08:25 IST on 22 December 2025
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NEW DELHI – President Droupadi Murmu has given assent to the new rural employment scheme Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB—G RAM G) Bill, 2025, the Ministry of Rural Development said in a release Sunday. The Act replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, and raises the guaranteed employment to 125 days from 100 days under the MGNREGA.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Dec. 16 and was passed two days later. The Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on Dec. 19.
With the presidential assent, the Bill becomes the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025. The Act provides a statutory guarantee for 125 days of wage employment per rural household each financial year to adults who volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work, the release said.
All works undertaken under the Act will be identified through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans and aggregated into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, thereby creating a unified national framework for rural public works.
The Act will be implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme and operationalised by state governments, with a cost-sharing pattern of 60:40, 90:10 for north-eastern and Himalayan states, and 100% central funding for Union Territories without legislatures.
The Act has drawn strong criticism from Opposition parties over changes in funding patterns and the omission of Mahatma Gandhi from the name of the rural employment scheme. End
Reported by Afra Abubacker
Edited by Avishek Dutta
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