Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAMG)

Brief
The Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAMG), enacted through the VB–G RAM G Act, 2025, is a statutory framework that replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). It modernises rural employment to align with India’s 2047 vision by increasing work guarantees and linking labor to durable infrastructure development

Objectives
- Provide a legal guarantee for rural employment to improve income stability
- Link wage employment with the creation of durable, productive assets such as water security projects and core rural roads
- Integrate multiple government schemes through a unified planning process at the Gram Panchayat level
- Implement technology-driven accountability through biometric authentication and real-time monitoring

Eligibility Criteria
- Every rural household is eligible as a single unit
- Adult members must volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work
- Applicants must be residents of the respective rural area

Benefits
- 125 Days of Guaranteed Work: An increase from the previous 100-day entitlement under MGNREGA
- Unemployment Allowance: Payable if work is not provided within 15 days of being demanded
- Timely Payments: Wages must be paid weekly, or no later than a fortnight after completion
- Balanced Agricultural Labour: States can notify a 60-day pause during peak farming seasons to ensure farm labor availability, while still maintaining the 125-day annual guarantee - Delay Compensation: Workers are entitled to compensation if wage payments are delayed beyond the stipulated period