Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB–G RAM G Act, 2025

The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 was enacted by Parliament and received the assent of the President of India on 20 December 2025. The Act repealed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, thereby ushering in a new legislative framework for rural employment and livelihood security in consonance with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

The Statement of Objects and Reasons accompanying the Bill emphasized that India's rural employment policies have evolved over several decades in response to changing socio-economic realities. While the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act successfully provided a statutory guarantee of 100 days of wage employment to rural households for nearly two decades, the transformation in rural infrastructure, social security, digital connectivity, financial inclusion, and livelihood opportunities necessitated a more comprehensive and forward-looking legislative framework.

The Act accordingly enhances the statutory guarantee of wage employment from 100 days to 125 days in every financial year for eligible rural households whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work. Beyond expanding employment opportunities, it seeks to promote sustainable livelihoods through convergence of multiple Government programmes, participatory planning by Gram Panchayats, technology-enabled implementation, geospatial planning, and strengthened digital governance.

The legislation provides for equitable allocation of resources among States, mandatory payment of unemployment allowance where employment is not provided within the prescribed period, and flexibility to suspend works during peak agricultural seasons to ensure the availability of farm labour. It also incorporates special provisions for natural calamities and extraordinary circumstances.

To strengthen transparency and accountability, the Act mandates biometric authentication, spatial technology-enabled planning, mobile and dashboard-based monitoring, periodic public disclosure of information, and an enhanced system of social audits. Institutional mechanisms at the Central and State levels have also been established for policy guidance, monitoring, and effective implementation.

The VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 thus marks a significant shift from a wage-employment programme to an integrated rural development and livelihood mission. It aims to empower rural households, promote resilient infrastructure, foster inclusive economic growth, and contribute meaningfully to the realization of the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.