Source NDTV
NEW DELHI – In a move that signals a seismic shift in India’s rural welfare landscape, Parliament has passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025—popularly known as the VB-G RAM G Bill. The legislation, which officially replaces the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), was cleared by the Rajya Sabha in a post-midnight session on Friday following its passage in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The passage of the bill was marked by unprecedented chaos. Opposition MPs staged an overnight dharna (sit-in) within the Parliament complex, accusing the government of “murdering democracy” and “insulting the Father of the Nation” by removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the flagship scheme.
Key Highlights of the VB-G RAM G Bill
The new legislation introduces several structural changes to the rural employment framework:
Increased Work Days: The statutory guarantee for wage employment has been raised from 100 days to 125 days per financial year for every rural household.
Revised Funding Model: Moving away from the previous model where the Centre bore the majority of the wage burden, the new bill implements a 60:40 fund-sharing ratio between the Centre and States (90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan states).
Seasonal Pause: The Act allows state governments to pause the scheme for up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons (sowing and harvesting) to ensure the availability of farm labor.
Digital Oversight: The bill mandates the use of AI-based fraud detection, biometric authentication, and GPS-linked monitoring for project tracking.
Focus on Assets: Employment will now be strictly linked to four priority areas: water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood assets, and extreme weather mitigation.
A Stormy Night in Parliament
The debate in both houses was characterized by high-pitched rhetoric and physical protests. In the Lok Sabha, Opposition members entered the well of the House, shouting slogans and tearing copies of the bill, scattering them toward the Speaker’s chair.
Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan defended the overhaul, asserting that the transition was necessary to fix “structural flaws” and “rampant corruption” in the old MGNREGA system. He dismissed the Opposition’s outcry over the name change, stating that Mahatma Gandhi’s name was only added to the original 2005 Act in 2009 for political mileage.
“The VB-G RAM G Bill is not just about digging pits; it is about building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) by creating durable assets and providing genuine income security,” Minister Chouhan stated during the midnight debate.
Opposition Reaction: “Anti-Poor and Tyrannical”
Opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, TMC, and DMK, remained steadfast in their resistance. Senior leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi joined the protests at the Makar Dwar, demanding the bill be sent to a Select Committee for deeper scrutiny.
Sagarika Ghose, Deputy Leader of the TMC in the Rajya Sabha, slammed the government’s “tyranny,” noting that the bill was provided to members with only five hours’ notice. “This is an insult to India’s poor and a blow to the right to work,” she said, announcing that the Opposition would now take the fight to the streets with nationwide agitations.
What’s Next?
States have been given six months to align their existing rural employment schemes with the provisions of the new Act. While the government maintains this will empower rural India, critics argue the 40% funding burden will cripple state exchequers and lead to a dilution of the legal “right to work.”
