Evaluate the shift from MGNREGA to VB–G RAM G as a case study in the evolution of India's rural employment guarantee architecture. What does this transition reveal about the changing philosophy of welfare in India?

Q. Evaluate the shift from MGNREGA to VB–G RAM G as a case study in the evolution of India's rural employment guarantee architecture. What does this transition reveal about the changing philosophy of welfare in India? (15 marks, 250 words)

The VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 repeals MGNREGA, 2005 from 1 July 2026, raising the guarantee from 100 to 125 days and setting a universal ₹300 wage floor [1][2]. It marks a decisive turn in India's rural employment lineage (SGRY → MGNREGA → VB–G RAM G) [3].

Merits - 125-day guarantee and >10% average wage hike, steepest (15–25%) for low-wage states like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand — a corrective equity lens [1][2]. - ₹300 floor ends sub-₹300 notifications, protecting marginalised workers [2]. - Asset-creating focus (water security, extreme-weather works) and Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans deepen Article 243G devolution [1]. - Biometric attendance, weekly public disclosures curb ghost-worker leakage; admin cap raised 6%→9% [1][3].

Concerns - Funding shift to 60:40 (from 90:10) loads states' fiscal burden, straining poorer states [3]. - 60-day agricultural pause risks off-season access for landless labour. - Employment stays a statutory, not fundamental, right; transition of job cards and entitlements needs safeguards under Article 21 livelihood jurisprudence [3].

Changing philosophy of welfare The move signals a shift from a demand-driven safety net toward productivity-linked, asset-creating, technology-mediated welfare embedded in the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision — welfare reframed as empowerment and capital formation, not mere income support [1].

The transition modernises rural employment through transparency and equity, yet its success hinges on protecting demand-driven access and cushioning states' fiscal load — aligning growth with SDG-8's decent-work promise.

(~250 words)

Sources: 1. PIB — VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 Commencement & Background — 125 days, admin cap 9%, Gram Panchayat Plans, asset works, disclosures 2. PIB — Government Notifies Revised Wage Rates under VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 (PRID 2279660) — ₹300 floor, >10% average hike, targeted state increases 3. PRS Legislative Research — VB–G RAM G Bill, 2025 Track & Summary — 60:40 funding, agricultural pause, statutory right, governance body