INTRODUCTION
The Winter Session of the Parliament came to an end on 19th December 2025 and was marked as one of the shortest sessions of the parliament, pointed out by introduction and passing of some of the very important bills. The session saw introduction of 10 bills of which 8 got passed. One of such bills is the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rojgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), the bill replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
The Bill was introduced in the parliament by Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India. The Bill became an Act on 21st December 2025 with the assent of the President.
ABOUT VB G RAM G
The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rojgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) is the scheme which replaces the old rural employment scheme named MGNREGA. The main aim of the scheme is to give better job support to the people living in rural areas. Under this scheme, the rural families can get 125 days of guaranteed work in place of 100 days as guaranteed by the MGNREGA.
The Act also changes the pattern of how central and state government share money. The Act aims to fulfill the target of Viksit Bharat by the year 2047.
ABOUT MGNREGA
MGNREGA was introduced in the year 2005 as National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA) by the then UPA government. It aimed to provide 100 days of compulsory employment to adult members of any rural household willing to work in unskilled manual work. In case employment is not provided within 30 days, then they are entitled to get unemployment allowances.
Since its inception, MGNREGA has been a successful program in shaping the rural unorganized sector which struggles for employment during the lean seasons, disasters and pandemics like COVID-19.
Some of the important features of MGNREGA include:
Guaranteed Wage Employment
Legal Right to Employment
Time Bound Employment
Equal Wages and Gender Parity
Despite some of the most important features, there were certain drawbacks to the scheme. There used to be delays in wage payment, often exceeding 15 days. There used to be problems with budget due to funding constraints. Often, the problems of corruption and leakages used to get reported, such as fake job cards, ghost beneficiaries, and misappropriation of funds.
MAJOR CHANGES IN MGNREGA BY VB G RAM G
Flexible Employment
MGNREGA guaranteed 100 days of employment which could be extended by 50 days in case of Scheduled Tribes forest households and drought or natural calamities affected areas. But the new scheme does not provide any such extensions.
Guaranteed Employment
MGNREGA provided for 100 days of compulsory employment while the new Act provides for 125 days of compulsory employment.
Funding Wage
In MGNREGA, 100% of wage payment was maintained by the Centre. On the other hand, in VB G RAM G, the funding shall be divided in the ratio of 60:40, where the Centre will bear 60% of the cost and the States will bear 40% of the costs. The ratio shall be 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern states. For Union Territories without legislature, the Centre shall bear 100% costs. This increases financial burden on states.
Nature of Funding
In MGNREGA, the funding used to be done based on demand of work, meaning the states had to prepare a report regarding the demand for work and send it to the Centre, based on which the budget allocation used to be done. In VB G RAM G, the scene is going to change. Normative allocation is proposed, where the Centre will allocate funds to the states and in case of any excess expense, the state will bear it.
Pause of Scheme
In MGNREGA, there was no provision for pause in the scheme. The VB G RAM G provides for mandatory pause up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons, and the pause period will be decided by the respective state government.
DRAWBACKS OF VB G RAM G
Funding of the Scheme
The ratio of 60:40 in fund sharing between Centre and states may lead to certain states withdrawing from the scheme.
Removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s Name
Some critics argue that the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name is an attack on his ideas of Gram Swaraj.
Agricultural Moratorium
The scheme provides for a 60-day halt in the programme during the harvesting season. But it may create problems for landless laborers and marginal farmers who lack sufficient agricultural work opportunities.
Right to Employment
Demand-based allocation of funds in MGNREGA provided for employment as a matter of right. On the other hand, the new scheme talks about normative allocation of funds and when the allocation is capped in advance, it contradicts the idea of MGNREGA, which provides employment as a right.
CONCLUSION
The Winter Session of the Parliament witnessed the introduction, discussion and passing of the VB G RAM G Act, which replaces the MGNREGA. The main aim of the scheme is to give better job support to the people living in rural areas. Some of the major changes introduced by the new Act include flexible employment, change in the number of days of employment, nature of funding and pattern of funding. However, there are certain drawbacks to the scheme. Change in the funding pattern and agricultural moratorium are some of the critical points of the scheme.