NEWS: The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 will replace MGNREGA from 1 July 2026, guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment per rural household.

ABOUT VB-G-RAM-G

• Replaces MGNREGA from 1 July 2026.
• Guarantees 125 days of wage employment annually for every rural household.
• Introduces a minimum interim wage of ₹300/day, revised annually based on the Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL).

KEY PROVISIONS

• Public works restricted to Water Security, Core Rural Infrastructure, Livelihood Infrastructure, and Extreme Weather Mitigation.
• Planning based on Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans, integrated with PM Gati Shakti through Block, District, State, and National levels.
• States may suspend work for up to 60 days during peak sowing and harvesting seasons.
• Mandates biometric & facial authentication, GPS-based worksite monitoring, real-time dashboards, and AI-based fraud detection.
• Provides daily unemployment allowance if work is not provided within 15 days of demand.

KEY CONCERNS

• Justiciability: State-wise budget caps may weaken the legal guarantee of employment.
• Digital Exclusion: Biometric authentication may exclude elderly and low-connectivity rural workers.
• Allocation Issues: New funding formula may disadvantage states with historically higher demand for rural employment.
• Administrative Burden: Conditional fund releases may adversely affect financially weaker states