News: The Union government is set to introduce the Viksit Bharat Guarantee For Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha. The Bill seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA).
Viksit Bharat Guarantee For Rozgar And Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development
- Aim: The Bill aims to establish a future-ready, convergence driven, saturation-oriented rural development architecture.
- It will support the accelerated pace of rural development in accordance with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, thereby empowering the rural households through increased employment opportunities.
Key Provisions
- Shift From Demand-Driven to Supply-Driven Model: The Bill marks a fundamental shift from a demand-driven employment guarantee to a supply-driven rural jobs scheme.
- Employment generation under the new framework will be limited by pre-fixed budgetary allocations rather than actual demand from rural households.
- Unlike MGNREGA, workers will no longer have an enforceable right to demand employment.
- Increase in Guaranteed Workdays: The Bill increases the number of guaranteed workdays per rural household from 100 days to 125 days per financial year. However, this increase is subject to budgetary ceilings determined by the Union government.
- Increased Financial Burden on States: The financial contribution required from States will rise significantly under the new Bill.
- For most States and Union Territories with legislatures, the cost-sharing ratio will shift to 60:40 between the Centre and the States.
- For north-eastern States, Himalayan States, and certain Union Territories, the cost-sharing ratio will remain at 90:10.
- Under MGNREGA, the effective cost-sharing was approximately 90:10 for all States.
- Centralised Budget Allocation: The Bill empowers the Union government to determine State-wise normative allocations for each financial year.
- These allocations will be based on “objective parameters” that will be prescribed by the Central government.
- States will no longer be able to seek additional funds based on increased demand for work.
- Restricted Geographic Coverage: The Union government will have the authority to notify specific rural areas within States where the scheme will be implemented.
- This represents a departure from the universal coverage model of MGNREGA, which applied to all rural areas.
- Control Over Timing of Work: The Bill allows the programme to be paused during peak agricultural seasons.
- This provision is intended to ensure the availability of labour for agricultural activities but may reduce employment security for rural workers.
- Codification of Technological Measures: Technological interventions previously introduced administratively under MGNREGA are formally incorporated into the new law.
- These include mobile app-based attendance systems, Aadhaar-based wage payments, and geotagging of worksites.
