President Murmu gives assent to VB-G RAM G Bill replacing MGNREGA

President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, marking a major overhaul of India’s rural employment framework, the Ministry of Rural Development said on Sunday.The new law replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, and increases the statutory guarantee of wage employment for rural households from 100 days to 125 days in a financial year. The overhaul is aimed at strengthening livelihood security while aligning rural employment with the Centre’s long-term vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.Under the Act, rural households with adult members willing to perform unskilled manual labour are entitled to a minimum of 125 days of wage employment annually. To balance agricultural needs, States have been given the flexibility to notify a pause of up to 60 days during peak sowing and harvesting seasons, without affecting the overall employment entitlement.The legislation also tightens timelines for wage payments, mandating that workers be paid weekly or within 15 days of completion of work. Delay compensation has been made mandatory in cases where payments are not made within the stipulated period.A key shift under the new framework is the integration of employment generation with the creation of durable rural assets. Works undertaken will focus on water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related facilities and measures to address extreme weather events. All assets created will be mapped and integrated into a national rural infrastructure platform to improve coordination and avoid duplication. Planning and execution will continue to remain decentralised, with projects originating from Gram Panchayat-level plans approved by Gram Sabhas. These plans will be digitally linked to national platforms to enable better convergence across government departments, while retaining local decision-making authority.



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