President Murmu Gives Assent to G-RAM-G Bill
President Droupadi Murmu has officially given her assent to the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025. This significant move marks a major shift in India’s rural employment landscape, as the new Act replaces the long-standing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.
A New Era for Rural Employment
The Rural Development Ministry hailed the enactment as a milestone in rural policy transformation. Designed to align with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the VB-G RAM G Act aims to move beyond simple welfare to become an integrated instrument for rural development. Its core pillars are empowerment, inclusive growth, convergence of initiatives, and saturation-based delivery.
Key Features of the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025
- Increased Employment Days: A standout feature of the new law is the enhancement of the statutory wage employment guarantee. Rural households are now entitled to 125 days of wage employment per financial year, up from the previous 100 days. This increase is intended to provide greater income stability and livelihood security.
- Balancing Agriculture and Labor: To address labor shortages during peak farming seasons, the Act introduces a “pause period.” States can now notify a pause in scheme work for up to 60 days during sowing and harvesting times. Importantly, the full 125-day employment entitlement remains intact and will be provided during the remaining part of the year.
- Technology & Transparency: The Act emphasizes the use of technology as an enabler. It mandates biometric authentication, geo-tagging of assets, and real-time dashboards to ensure transparency (Sections 23 & 24).
- Strengthened Social Audits: Community oversight is reinforced through Section 20, which strengthens the role of Gram Sabhas in conducting social audits to ensure accountability and inclusion.
- Unemployment Allowance: The new framework restores a robust unemployment allowance. If employment is not provided within 15 days of demand, the allowance becomes a statutory right, removing earlier disentitlement provisions.
Transforming Rural Bharat
By linking wage employment with the creation of durable, productive assets, the VB-G RAM G Act seeks to build a resilient and self-reliant rural India. It promises not just jobs, but a pathway to long-term prosperity for rural households, ensuring they contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development.
