Source: PIB
Why in News?
The President of India has granted assent to the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, passed during the Winter Session of Parliament.
The Act replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005.
About Viksit Bharat–G RAM G Act, 2025
A revamped statutory framework for rural employment, repositioning wage employment as an integrated instrument for:
- Livelihood security
- Durable asset creation
- Climate resilience
Aligned with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.
Aims
- Enhance income security of rural households through expanded employment guarantee
- Transform wage employment into long-term rural development via asset creation
Key Features
1. Increased Guaranteed Employment
- Statutory guarantee of not less than 125 days of unskilled manual work per rural household per financial year
- Unemployment allowance retained if work is not provided within 15 days of demand
2. Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Revised Funding Pattern
- Implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS)
- Funding pattern:
- 60:40 – Centre : States (most states)
- 90:10 – North-Eastern & Himalayan states
- 100% Central funding – Union Territories without legislatures
- States continue to bear:
- Unemployment allowance
- Delay compensation
3. Normative Allocations & State Responsibility
- Centre to notify state-wise normative allocations annually
- Excess expenditure beyond allocation to be borne by states
- Does not dilute the statutory right to work
4. Pause During Peak Agricultural Seasons
- States may notify a pause of up to 60 days annually during sowing/harvesting seasons
- 125-day entitlement remains intact, ensuring balance between farm labour needs and wage employment
5. Decentralised & Integrated Planning
- Gram Sabhas and Panchayats remain the core planning authorities
- Works to originate from Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans
- Plans:
- Prepared through participatory processes
- Integrated with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan
- Aggregated upwards for convergence
6. Focus on Priority Development Domains
Works restricted to four thematic areas:
- Water security
- Core rural infrastructure
- Livelihood-related infrastructure
- Climate resilience & extreme weather mitigation
- Assets mapped into a National Rural Infrastructure Stack to prevent duplication
7. Strengthened Governance & Monitoring
- Retains Central and State Councils
- Establishes:
- National Level Steering Committee
- State Steering Committees
- Purpose: Oversight, convergence, and plan aggregation
8. Technology-Driven Transparency & Accountability
- Use of:
- Biometric authentication
- Geo-tagging of assets
- Real-time dashboards
- Weekly public disclosures
- Social audits by Gram Sabhas strengthened to ensure inclusion and accountability
