Paper: GS – II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Legislature, Issue: Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill.
Context:
The Union Government has introduced the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, marking a major shift in India’s rural employment policy framework after two decades.
Key Takeaways:
MGNREGA vs VB–G RAM G Bill, 2025 (Key Differences):
| Aspect | MGNREGA (2005) | VB–G RAM G (2025) |
| Nature | Rights-based employment guarantee | Administrative employment & livelihood scheme |
| Framework | Demand-driven | Supply-driven |
| Legal guarantee | Enforceable right to work | No explicit enforceable right |
| Guaranteed days | 100 days | 125 days (with conditions) |
| Seasonality | Year-round employment | Seasonal pause permitted |
| Budgeting | Demand-based, flexible | Normative allocation with budget cap |
| Cost sharing (General States) | Centre 90% : States 10% | Centre 60% : States 40% |
| Excess expenditure | Centre bears | States bear |
| Planning authority | Gram Panchayat (bottom-up) | Centrally guided plans |
| Job cards | Household-based | Individual-based |
Key Issues & Implications:
1. Labour Market Impact
Seasonal pauses may alter rural labour dynamics by:
- Increasing dependence on private agricultural employers
- Weakening fallback employment during agrarian distress
- Reducing bargaining power of landless labourers
2. Asset Quality Vs Employment Focus:
The new framework prioritises:
- Durable rural infrastructure
- Convergence with logistics, connectivity, and infrastructure missions
This may improve asset quality but risks diluting the scheme’s role as an income shock absorber.
3. Technology-Driven Governance:
- Mandatory digital planning tools
- Geo-tagging, real-time dashboards, and algorithm-based monitoring
While efficiency may improve, risks of digital exclusion persist in remote and low-connectivity regions.
4. Administrative Discretion:
Greater discretion with implementing authorities in:
- Identifying works
- Phasing employment
- Approving plans
This may weaken grievance redressal mechanisms available earlier under a rights-based law.
5. Transition Challenges:
- Ongoing MGNREGA works need migration to the new framework
- State machinery requires rapid reorientation
- Potential disruption in wage payments during transition phase
Government’s Stated Rationale:
- Align rural employment with Viksit Bharat @2047
- Improve productivity and infrastructure outcomes
- Address labour shortages in agriculture
- Bring predictability to public expenditure
Way Forward:
- Safeguards against exclusion during seasonal pauses
- Clear grievance redressal mechanisms
- Flexibility for States facing distress years
- Strengthening social audit institutions
- Ensuring technology complements human oversight
Conclusion:
The VB–G RAM G Bill reflects a transition from employment as a legal safety net to employment as a managed development instrument. Its success will depend on balancing fiscal discipline with livelihood security for rural India.
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