VIKSIT BHARAT GUARANTEE FOR ROZGAR AND AJEEVIKA MISSION

1. At a Glance

• VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 — statutory rural wage-employment guarantee replacing MGNREGA, 2005, aligned with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision [S1][S2].
• Raises the guarantee from 100 → 125 days of unskilled manual work per rural household per FY [S1][S2].
• Reframes public works into a Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack, with a thematic anchor on water security [S1].
• Examinable for GS-II (welfare schemes, governance) and GS-III (rural economy, employment).

2. Why in the News

• Bill introduced in Lok Sabha on 16 December 2025; passed by both Houses on 18 December 2025 [S2].
• Government notified commencement w.e.f. 01 July 2026; MGNREGA, 2005 stands repealed from the same date [S1].
• PIB Ministry of Rural Development press release dated 03 February 2026 detailed the Act's Schedule I objectives [S1].

3. Background & Evolution

• Successor to MGNREGA, 2005 (NREGA 2005, renamed in 2009), India's flagship rights-based wage employment law [S2].
• Driven by the Viksit Bharat @2047 doctrine — converging rural development with national infrastructure planning [S1].
• The Act subsumes the earlier 100-day model and adds convergence and saturation principles plus livelihoods-infrastructure integration [S1][S2].

4. Core Static Facts

• Short title: Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB–G RAM G Act, 2025) [S1][S2].
• Nodal ministry (per PIB): Ministry of Rural Development [S1].
• Statutory entitlement: 125 days of guaranteed wage employment per rural household per FY to adults volunteering for unskilled manual work [S1][S2].
• Unemployment allowance: 15-day window retained — allowance payable if work not provided [S2].
• Funding pattern: Centrally Sponsored Scheme — 60:40 Centre:State; 90:10 for NE & Himalayan States [S2].
• Thematic pillars (four): water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, mitigation of extreme weather events [S2].
• Schedule I, Para 3: lays down core objectives — empowerment, growth, convergence, saturation through public works forming the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack [S1].
• Agricultural pause: States may notify up to 60 days/year when works will not proceed (peak agri season) [S2].
• Planning unit: Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans integrated into a national rural infrastructure planning system [S3].
• Governance: National & State Steering Committees; biometric authentication, geospatial monitoring, mobile dashboards, weekly public disclosure [S2][S3].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic - Raising guarantee by 25 days widens fiscal outlay and rural purchasing power [S1]. - Asset-creation tilt via Infrastructure Stack aims at multiplier effects beyond pure wage transfer [S1].

Social - Continues household-based (not individual) rights framework; preserves safety net for landless/marginal labour [S2]. - Saturation approach signals universal-coverage intent in distressed blocks [S1].

Environmental - Explicit water security thematic focus; works calibrated to climate-extreme mitigation (droughts/floods) [S1][S2].

Legal / Constitutional - A statutory right to work preserved and expanded; consistent with DPSP Art. 39(a) & 41 (state policy on livelihood) [S1]. - Repeals MGNREGA, 2005 via savings clause from 01.07.2026 [S1].

Administrative - Centre-State sharing formula codified (60:40 / 90:10); states bear cost above normative limits — fiscal discipline lever [S2]. - Technology stack — geo-tagging, biometric attendance, weekly disclosures — strengthens accountability [S2][S3].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 16 Dec 2025: Bill introduced in Lok Sabha [S2].
• 18 Dec 2025: Passed by both Houses of Parliament [S2].
• 03 Feb 2026: PIB release by Ministry of Rural Development outlines Schedule I objectives [S1].
• 01 Jul 2026: Notified commencement date; MGNREGA, 2005 simultaneously repealed [S1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 guarantees 125 days of unskilled manual wage work per rural household per FY [S1].
• Act repeals MGNREGA, 2005 w.e.f. 01 July 2026 [S1].
• Bill passed by Parliament on 18 December 2025 [S2].
• Nodal ministry per PIB: Ministry of Rural Development [S1].
• Schedule I, Para 3 lays down core objectives, including Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack [S1].
• Thematic focus: water security is the primary theme [S1].
• Funding pattern: 60:40 general; 90:10 for North-Eastern & Himalayan States [S2].
• Four thematic pillars: water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood infrastructure, extreme weather mitigation [S2].
• Planning vehicle: Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans [S3].
• States can notify up to 60 days/year when no works are taken up (agri-pause) [S2].
• Anchored to the Viksit Bharat @2047 national vision [S1].
• Unemployment allowance provision retained from the MGNREGA framework [S2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; issues relating to development & management of social sector — Government policies and interventions.
• GS-III: Inclusive growth, employment, rural infrastructure.
• Probable stems: 1. "The VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 reframes rural employment guarantee from a safety net into an infrastructure-building instrument. Critically evaluate." 2. "Does raising guaranteed employment days from 100 to 125 address the structural weaknesses of MGNREGA? Discuss." 3. "Examine the integration of climate resilience and water security into India's statutory rural employment framework."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• MGNREGA, 2005 — predecessor; baseline for comparison.
• Viksit Bharat @2047 vision — overarching policy umbrella.
• DAY-NRLM (Aajeevika) — livelihoods convergence partner.
• PM Gati Shakti / National Infrastructure Pipeline — parallels to the Rural Infrastructure Stack.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan / Atal Bhujal Yojana — water security convergence.
• 15th Finance Commission devolution to PRIs — funding GP-level plans.
• Social Audit framework & CAG audits — accountability layer.
• DPSP Articles 39(a), 41, 43 — constitutional moorings of right to work.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Ministry confusion: Authoritative PIB attributes it to Ministry of Rural Development; some secondary trackers list Agriculture — for UPSC, go with Rural Development [S1][S2].
• Guarantee is 125 days/household, not per individual; not 150 days.
• Act repeals MGNREGA — it is not a parallel/amendment scheme; effective 01.07.2026, not date of enactment.
• "G RAM G" stands for Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) — not a separate scheme.
• Funding ratio is 60:40 / 90:10, not the 75:25 used in some other CSS.

11. Sources

• [S1] Ministry of Rural Development — VIKSIT BHARAT GUARANTEE FOR ROZGAR AND AJEEVIKA MISSION (PIB, 03 Feb 2026) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2222699 — (tier: 1)
• [S2] PRS Legislative Research — The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) VB–G RAM G Bill, 2025 — https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-viksit-bharat-%E2%80%93-guarantee-for-rozgar-and-ajeevika-mission-gramin-vb-%E2%80%93-g-ram-g-bill-2025 — (tier: 1)
• [S3] PIB Press Note — Viksit Bharat – G RAM G Act 2025 (PressNoteDetails NoteId=156634) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=156634&ModuleId=3&reg=3&lang=1 — (tier: 1)