The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G Act, 2025) is an Indian social welfare Act that establishes a revised statutory framework for rural employment and livelihood security. It was introduced as a Bill in the Lok Sabha on December 16, 2025, by the Ministry of Rural Development and received the President's assent on December 20, 2025, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA). The Act was created to align the rural employment guarantee with the long-term development vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
The Act provides a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment per financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work, an increase from the 100 days guaranteed under MGNREGA. Section 5(1) of the Act specifies this enhanced guarantee. If employment is not provided within 15 days of demand, the household is eligible for an unemployment allowance, a provision retained from the previous Act. A key mechanism is the shift from a demand-driven, open-ended funding model to a budget-capped, supply-driven framework, with the Centre setting state-wise funding limits annually. The scheme operates as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a revised funding pattern of 60:40 between the Union and State governments for most states. Furthermore, Section 6 empowers States to notify a pause period of up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons when scheme works will be suspended.
The planning process begins at the Gram Panchayat level with Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPPs), which are then integrated into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack. The Act mandates the use of technology, including biometric authentication, geospatial technology for monitoring, and real-time dashboards, to enhance transparency and accountability. The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 is directly connected to the repealed MGNREGA, 2005, and is framed within the context of the national Viksit Bharat @2047 vision. While the guarantee increased from 100 to 125 days, the major change is the shift in the funding model and the introduction of the mandatory agricultural season pause.