According to an official, President Droupadi Murmu has signed the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB—G RAM G) Bill, 2025. According to a representative of the Rural Development Ministry, the development represents a major turning point in the evolution of rural jobs policy. The new VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 aims to promote empowerment, inclusive growth, convergence of development initiatives, and saturation-based delivery, strengthening the foundation for a prosperous, resilient, and self-sufficient Rural Bharat. It also increases the statutory wage employment guarantee for rural households to 125 days per fiscal year.
The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, which was passed by Parliament earlier, significantly changed India’s framework for rural employment and growth. The Act, which is in line with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 with a contemporary legislative framework that improves livelihood security. According to a statement from the Ministry, the Act aims to change rural employment from a stand-alone welfare intervention into an integrated tool of development. It is based on the concepts of empowerment, growth, convergence, and saturation. The Act aims to strengthen income security for rural households by expanding guaranteed wage employment and improving governance and transparency.
It increases the statutory employment guarantee from 100 to 125 days per rural household per year, enhancing livelihood security and income stability. To balance agricultural needs, States can pause employment for up to 60 days during peak farming seasons, while still ensuring the full 125 days overall. The Act promotes transparency through technology such as biometric authentication, geo-tagging, real-time dashboards, and stronger Gram Sabha–led social audits. It also restores unemployment allowance as a safeguard, payable if work is not provided within 15 days. Overall, the Act links wage employment with the creation of durable rural assets to support a more resilient and prosperous rural economy.
