Rural jobs law 2.0: More days, states must chip in

VB-G RAM G Bill to replace MGNREGA will overhaul funding, implementation

- Vijay C Roy & Manas Pimpalkhare

The Centre is planning to replace the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) with a revamped legislation that promises more days of work, but asks states to share the burden and freezes employment during the farming season.

The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or the VB-G RAMG Bill, 2025 expands employment from 100 days to 125 days, sharpens the focus on strategic infrastructure, introduces localized and integrated planning, and revises the existing funding pattern.