The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, commonly known as VB–G RAM G, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 16, 2025. This legislation proposes a comprehensive overhaul of the rural employment framework by repealing and replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.
Overview of VB–G RAM G 2025
The mission aims to realign rural employment with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, shifting from a purely demand-driven social safety net to a structured, infrastructure-led mission. It focuses on creating durable, productive assets and enhancing climate resilience in rural areas.
Key Provisions
- Enhanced Work Guarantee: The statutory entitlement is increased from 100 days to 125 days of wage employment per rural household per financial year.
- Revised Funding Pattern: Unlike MGNREGA’s fully Central-funded wage system, the new bill introduces a cost-sharing model between the Centre and States:
- 60:40 split for most States and UTs with legislatures.
- 90:10 for Northeastern and Himalayan States (e.g., Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K).
- 100% Central funding for UTs without legislatures.
- Agricultural Season Pause: For the first time, a statutory pause of up to 60 days annually is allowed during peak sowing and harvesting seasons to ensure farm labour availability.
- Normative Allocation: The open-ended, demand-driven “Labour Budget” is replaced by a “Normative Allocation” system, where the Centre determines state-wise funding based on objective parameters.
- Priority Work Verticals: All works are channelled into four thematic domains:
- Water security (e.g., irrigation, ponds).
- Core rural infrastructure (e.g., roads, connectivity).
- Livelihood-related infrastructure (e.g., storage, markets).
- Climate and extreme weather mitigation.
- Digital Governance: Integration into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack and the PM Gati Shakti platform to ensure spatially optimized planning and AI-based fraud detection.
- Payment & Monitoring: Daily wages are to be disbursed weekly or fortnightly. Mandatory social audits must be conducted twice-yearly at the gram panchayat level.
Explanation of Exam Oriented Key Points
01Comparison between MGNREGA vs. VB–G RAM G | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The following table compares the key structural and operational differences between the two frameworks:
|
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
With reference to the funding architecture of the VB–G RAM G Bill, 2025, consider the following statements:
I. Unlike MGNREGA, which was a Central Sector Scheme, VB–G RAM G is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme
II. The standard fund-sharing ratio for the wage bill and material costs is 60:40 between the Centre and the States
III. For North-Eastern and Himalayan States, the central government bears 100% of the financial burden
How many of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None
Answer: a
Explanation: Statement I is factually Incorrect regarding MGNREGA being a Central Sector Scheme. MGNREGA was a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) where the Centre funded the entire wage bill and 75% of material costs. The VB-G RAM G Bill shifts it to a form where states bear more costs, but it remains a CSS structure with a defined state share, not a Central Sector Scheme. Statement II is Correct: Under the VB-G RAM G Bill, the standard fund-sharing ratio for most states is 60:40 between the Centre and States. Statement III is Incorrect: For North-Eastern and Himalayan states, the central government bears a 90:10 ratio (Centre:State). Therefore, the central government does not bear 100% of the burden.
Current Affairs
Contemporary Issues
Subject Wise 
Essential Editorials 
