Draft:VBGRAMG

Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025
Parliament of India
Long title An Act to establish a rural development framework aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, by providing a statutory guarantee of one hundred and twenty-five days of wage employment in every financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work; to promote empowerment, growth, convergence and saturation for a prosperous and resilient rural Bharat; and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Citation	The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025 (Act 36). 20 December 2025.
Territorial extent	India
Passed by	Lok Sabha
Passed	18 December 2025
Passed by	Rajya Sabha
Passed	18 December 2025
Assented to	20 December 2025
Commenced	1 July 2026
Legislative history
Initiating chamber: Lok Sabha
Bill title	Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025
Bill citation	Bill No. 197 of 2025
Introduced by	Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of Rural Development
Introduced	16 December 2025
Related legislation
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005
Status: In force

The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, commonly known as the VB–G RAM G Act, 2025, is an Indian social welfare and rural development law that provides a statutory guarantee of wage employment to rural households. The Act guarantees up to 125 days of wage employment in each financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work. It also provides a framework for rural infrastructure development, livelihood-related works, planning, monitoring and convergence with other government programmes."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G Ram G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 16 December 2025 by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Minister of Rural Development."Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan introduces the "Viksit Bharat – G Ram G Bill" in the Lok Sabha". Press Information Bureau. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2026. It was passed by both Houses of Parliament on 18 December 2025 and received the assent of the President of India on 20 December 2025."The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) VB – G RAM G Bill, 2025". PRS Legislative Research. Retrieved 21 September 2026."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Act came into force throughout India on 1 July 2026. On the same date, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) was repealed, together with rules, schemes, notifications, orders and guidelines made under it, subject to the transitional provisions of the new Act."Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, 2025 – Frequently Asked Questions". Press Information Bureau. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026."Notification for repeal of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005". Ministry of Rural Development. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Act is administered under the Ministry of Rural Development. The Central Government's official VB–G RAM G portal provides information and digital services relating to implementation of the programme."VB–G RAM G official portal". Department of Rural Development, Government of India. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Background

The VB–G RAM G Act was enacted as a replacement for MGNREGA, the statutory rural employment guarantee law enacted in 2005. The new legislation retains the central feature of a statutory employment guarantee while increasing the annual guarantee from 100 days to 125 days and introducing a broader rural development framework."Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, 2025". Press Information Bureau. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The legislation links employment generation with rural infrastructure and livelihood development. Its preamble and provisions describe an approach based on empowerment, growth, convergence and saturation, with rural works organised around water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure and measures intended to mitigate extreme weather events."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Act also introduces planning through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans. These plans are intended to be prepared by Gram Panchayats through participatory and evidence-based processes and integrated with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Provisions

Employment guarantee

The Act provides a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in every financial year to each eligible rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work."Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, 2025 – Frequently Asked Questions". Press Information Bureau. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026. An adult is defined under the Act as a person who has completed 18 years of age. The guarantee applies to rural households in areas covered by the scheme, subject to the conditions prescribed under the Act and the State scheme."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Act retains the demand-driven nature of the employment guarantee. If employment is not provided within 15 days of an application, the applicant becomes entitled to an unemployment allowance subject to the conditions prescribed by the Act and the State scheme."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Wage payments

The Act provides that wages are to be paid for each day of work. Daily wages are to be disbursed on a weekly basis or, in any case, no later than a fortnight after the work was performed."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Central Government may notify the wage rate under the Act. Until a new wage rate is notified, the wage rates notified under MGNREGA continue to apply in areas covered by the new Act. The Act also specifies that a newly notified wage rate cannot be lower than the wage rate previously notified under MGNREGA."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Agricultural season provision

One of the changes introduced by the Act concerns the availability of agricultural labour during peak sowing and harvesting periods. State governments are required to notify in advance a period aggregating to 60 days in a financial year covering peak agricultural seasons during which works under the Act are not to be undertaken. The notified period may differ between districts, blocks or Gram Panchayats depending on agro-climatic zones and local agricultural patterns."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The 60-day period does not reduce the statutory employment guarantee. The government has described the provision as a mechanism to balance rural employment with agricultural labour requirements during peak seasons."VB-G RAM G Act 2025 guarantees 125 days of rural employment". Press Information Bureau. 17 March 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Rural infrastructure and works

The Act establishes four broad thematic areas for rural works: • water security through water-related works; • core rural infrastructure; • livelihood-related infrastructure; and • special works for mitigation of extreme weather events."Key Features of the Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, 2025" (PDF). Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The works are intended to form part of a Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, which aggregates proposed works emerging from Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans at district, state and national levels."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Planning through Gram Panchayats

The Act gives Gram Panchayats a central role in local planning. Rural works are to originate from Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans and are subsequently consolidated at the Block, District and State levels."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The planning framework is intended to integrate rural employment works with wider infrastructure priorities through geospatial systems, digital public infrastructure and the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan."The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB G RAM G Bill, 2025". Press Information Bureau. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Funding pattern

The VB–G RAM G programme operates as a centrally sponsored scheme. For most states and Union territories with legislatures, the Centre–State fund-sharing pattern is 60:40. For North-Eastern states, Himalayan states and the Union territories specified by the Act, the ratio is 90:10."Employment Guarantee and Livelihood Support under VB-G RAM G". Press Information Bureau. 31 July 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Act also introduces a system of annual normative allocations determined by the Central Government using prescribed objective parameters. Expenditure by a State beyond its normative allocation is subject to the funding provisions specified in the Act."Federal Contribution of Funds under VB-G RAM G". Press Information Bureau. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Unemployment allowance

If an applicant is not provided employment within 15 days of the application, the applicant becomes entitled to a daily unemployment allowance, subject to the statutory conditions. The Act provides that the unemployment allowance cannot be less than one-fourth of the notified wage rate for the first 30 days during a financial year and not less than one-half of the wage rate for the remaining period of the financial year."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Implementation

The Act requires State Governments to notify their respective schemes within six months from the date on which the Act comes into force. The State schemes must be consistent with the Act and its schedules."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. Implementation involves Central and State Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Councils, National and State Level Steering Committees, District Programme Coordinators, Programme Officers and Gram Panchayats."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Central Government has also emphasised digital monitoring, public disclosure, social audits, geospatial planning and technology-enabled implementation as part of the governance framework."Key Features of the Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, 2025" (PDF). Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The official implementation portal is available through the Department of Rural Development's VB–G RAM G website. For users looking for publicly available information related to the programme, independent informational tools include VB–G RAM G attendance checking, VB–G RAM G job card lists, and VB–G RAM G MIS reports. These pages provide user-oriented access to information and should not be treated as substitutes for official government records.

Governance and accountability

The Act provides for institutional mechanisms at the Central and State levels to monitor implementation. The Central Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council is constituted to perform functions relating to evaluation, monitoring, implementation support and reporting. A State Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council is constituted by each State Government for monitoring and reviewing implementation at the State level."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Act also provides for National and State Level Steering Committees. The National Level Steering Committee has responsibilities including recommending decisions relating to normative allocations, advising on inter-ministerial convergence and providing high-level oversight."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Digital governance

The legislation envisages a digital governance framework incorporating biometric authentication, mobile or GPS-based worksite monitoring, real-time management information system dashboards, proactive public disclosures and the use of artificial intelligence for planning, auditing and fraud-risk mitigation."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025" (PDF). Gazette of India. Retrieved 21 September 2026. These provisions form part of the Act's wider emphasis on technology-enabled transparency and monitoring.

Social audit

The Act provides for social audit of works by the Gram Sabha. Social audit is intended to provide a mechanism through which local communities can examine implementation and public expenditure. The legislation also provides for public disclosures and institutional monitoring alongside social audits, continuing the emphasis on transparency that was present under MGNREGA while incorporating additional digital monitoring mechanisms."Key Features of the Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, 2025" (PDF). Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Transition from MGNREGA

The VB–G RAM G Act repealed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, with effect from 1 July 2026."Notification for repeal of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005". Ministry of Rural Development. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The repeal provision covers the former Act and its associated rules, notifications, schemes, orders and guidelines. The VB–G RAM G Act contains transitional provisions concerning works and other matters existing at the time of repeal."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025". India Code. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Ministry of Rural Development stated that ongoing MGNREGA works at the time of commencement could continue under the transitional provisions and would be migrated and prioritised for completion."Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, 2025 – Frequently Asked Questions". Press Information Bureau. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

History and legislative process

The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 16 December 2025 by Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan."Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan introduces the "Viksit Bharat – G Ram G Bill" in the Lok Sabha". Press Information Bureau. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Bill was introduced as Bill No. 197 of 2025. According to the legislative record, it was passed by the Lok Sabha and subsequently by the Rajya Sabha on 18 December 2025."Legislation – Winter Session 2025". PRS Legislative Research. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Act received Presidential assent on 20 December 2025 and was published in the Gazette of India on 21 December 2025 as Act No. 36 of 2025."The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB—G RAM G Act, 2025" (PDF). Gazette of India. Retrieved 21 September 2026. The Central Government subsequently notified 1 July 2026 as the commencement date for the Act throughout all States and Union territories. A separate notification appointed the same date for the repeal of MGNREGA."Notification for the appointment of the date for the commencement of Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025". Ministry of Rural Development. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Relationship with MGNREGA

The VB–G RAM G Act retains several structural features associated with India's earlier rural employment guarantee framework, including a statutory employment guarantee, unemployment allowance where employment is not provided within the prescribed period, implementation through Panchayati Raj institutions and social audit mechanisms. The principal statutory change is the increase of the annual employment guarantee from 100 days under MGNREGA to 125 days under VB–G RAM G. The new law also introduces the 60-day peak agricultural season provision, normative allocations, a revised Centre–State funding framework and a planning architecture based on Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans and the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack."Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, 2025 – Frequently Asked Questions". Press Information Bureau. 11 May 2026. Retrieved 21 September 2026.

Comparison of selected statutory features

Feature	MGNREGA	VB–G RAM G Act
Statutory employment guarantee	100 days per rural household per financial year	125 days per rural household per financial year
Peak agricultural season provision	No equivalent statutory 60-day provision	State Governments may notify an aggregate period of up to 60 days covering peak sowing and harvesting seasons during which works under the Act are not undertaken
Planning framework	Gram Panchayat-based planning under MGNREGA	Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans integrated with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan
Major work focus	Rural employment and creation of durable rural assets	Employment combined with water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure and mitigation of extreme weather events
Funding structure	Funding framework prescribed under MGNREGA	Centrally Sponsored Scheme with statutory Centre–State sharing provisions
Status	Repealed with effect from 1 July 2026	In force from 1 July 2026

See also

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 • Ministry of Rural Development (India) • Gram Panchayat • Panchayati Raj • PM Gati Shakti • Right to work • Rural development in India

External links

• Official VB–G RAM G portal — Department of Rural Development, Government of India • India Code — VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 • Gazette of India — VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 • Text of the Act — PRS Legislative Research