Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan introduces the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): VB G RAM G (विकसित भारत–जी राम जी) Bill, 2025¹ in Lok Sabha seeking to establish a rural development framework aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047². The Bill has cleared the passage of Lok Sabha and is set to replace the MGNREGA amidst strong opposition.³

What Does It Mean

The Bill seeks to structurally reform rural employment, effectively replacing the MGNREGA framework, and aims to establish a rural development model aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047⁴.A key feature of the Bill is the enhancement of guaranteed rural employment from 100 days to 125 days in a financial year.

The structural changes proposed mark a significant shift from a traditionally demand-driven framework to a more supply-driven schem⁵. The Bill also codifies a governance ecosystem built on digital public infrastructure, with the objective of improving transparency, accountability, and administrative efficiency.⁶

Further, the Bill places strong emphasis on the creation of core rural infrastructure, livelihood-supporting assets, and special works aimed at mitigating the impacts of extreme weather events.⁷In doing so, it seeks to make rural infrastructure resilient to climate change while enabling locally driven contributions to national development.

While these reforms align with the broader Viksit Bharat vision and are largely welcome, the Bill raises important policy concerns. These include an increased fiscal contribution from States under Section 22(2), which could pose serious challenges for poorer States, as well as greater central control over the scheme through Section 4(5). Additionally, Section 22(4) appears to limit States’ budgetary flexibility.

Ultimately, whether the Bill’s implementation leads to an erosion of the right to work for rural households or successfully catalyses rural development in line with the Viksit Bharat vision remains a question that only time will answer.