VB G RAM G Bill: The VB-G RAM G Bill, formally the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill 2025, has cleared both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and is now awaiting the President’s approval before it gets implemented.
The new bill replaces the iconic Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005, popularly known as MGNREGA. The new version promises 125 days of rural wage employment instead of the previous bill’s 100 days.
Opinions of the bill’s Proponents & Opponents
The VB G RAM G Bill, which was passed amid opposition protests and walkouts, seamlessly aligns rural jobs with the goals of Viksit Bharat 2047. It focuses strongly on durable infrastructure such as water, climate-resilient assets and security. However, bill critics say it is a betrayal of the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi.
3 Reasons Why Opposition Is Crying Foul
Beyond the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name, here are 3 more reasons why the new bill is facing the flak of opposition parties in India:
#1. Funding Shift to States
The biggest grievance of state governments and union territories with a legislature is the funding overhaul. From Center covering 100 percent unskilled wages to a 60:40 split (Center: State) for most region, or 90:10 for hilly states.
Opposition parties believe that this “burden” will collapse many welfare schemes in poorer states. This, in turn, will bulldoze the universal safety net of MGNREGA. Protestors have termed the bill as “anti-farmer, anti-poor,” fearing the death of fiscal federalism.
#2. Rushed Passage Without Scrutiny
The new bill cleared Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha post-midnight via voice vote, despite opposition’s demands for a Select Committee. Opposition alleged that the ruling NDA government skipped extensive review unlike MGNREGA’s drafting.
BJP countered with NDA’s Rs 8.53 lakh crore MGNREGA funding vs UPA’s Rs 2.13 lakh crore but protests are likely to escalate to street agitations in days to come.
The new bill enables weekly wage payments for cash flow, builds climate-resilient rural infrastructure stack and enables tech-driven monitoring and governance upgrades. It also boosts state accountability via funding share, reduces extreme weather vulnerabilities and facilitates convergence with other schemes for saturation coverage.
#3. Reduced Worker Protections
Opposition parties argue that the new bill weakens the robust safeguards of MGNREGA by restricting unemployment allowance to just 15 days (against 100). Moreover, the bill introduces stricter eligibility tied to Aadhaar-linked job cards, which can end up potentially excluding millions of informal workers.
Congress and Trinamool claim the bill focuses on conditional “mission-mode” targets that prioritize outputs over entitlements. This may risk leaving rural populations vulnerable amid migration pressures and climate shocks.
