NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) [VB-G RAM G] Bill, which replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, and provides for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers.
With the presidential assent, the legislation has now become the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, and a notification to this effect has been published in the Gazette of India. The Ministry of Rural Development described the move as a decisive reform in India’s rural employment and development framework.
According to the government, the new scheme aims to establish a rural development model aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. In addition to guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment, the Act empowers states to notify a pause period of up to 60 days in a financial year to ensure adequate availability of agricultural labour during peak sowing and harvesting seasons.
The Ministry said the Act seeks to transform rural employment from a standalone welfare measure into an integrated instrument of rural development.
The Bill was passed by Parliament last week amid protests by the opposition.
