Government Unveils Draft Rules for Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Rural Development has released draft rules aimed at implementing the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G). This initiative will replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) starting July 1, 2025, outlining a comprehensive framework for institutional, financial, administrative, and grievance redressal processes.
Published in the e-Gazette on Friday, the draft rules are open for public consultation for a period of 30 days prior to finalization. During a review meeting on Saturday, the ministry urged States and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that ongoing MGNREGA works are completed promptly before transitioning to the new framework. It was highlighted that projects active as of June 30 will be adopted under the VB-G RAM G.
The draft specifies that existing e-KYC-verified MGNREGA job cards will remain temporarily valid until the new Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Cards are issued. Additionally, new projects may commence if the existing ones do not meet labor demand.
The ministry has circulated eight notifications of draft rules which encompass transitional provisions, the establishment of a National Level Steering Committee, the formation of the Central Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council, as well as parameters for allocations, expenditure, administrative expenses, grievance redressal, and wage payments including unemployment allowances.
For each financial year, the Central Government will determine fund allocations for states based on “objective parameters.” The ministry has provided an indicative framework to categorize Gram Panchayats into A, B, and C categories, facilitating planning and implementation under the revised structure.
In the same review meeting, Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Rohit Kansal announced approval for the Labour Budget for June across all States and UTs, with projected demands totaling ₹26,971 crore under MGNREGS for wages, materials, and administrative costs, ensuring a continuous flow of funds during the transition.
Under the new law, the annual employment guarantee will increase from 100 to 125 days, and direct benefit transfer will remain the method for wage and unemployment allowance payments.
The draft rules indicate the establishment of a Central Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Council, chaired by the Minister of Rural Development. This council will create a central evaluation and monitoring system and provide guidance to the Central Government on implementing the new law.
A National Level Steering Committee, chaired by the Secretary of Rural Development, is set to provide high-level oversight to ensure effective implementation and to recommend decisions on normative allocations to states.
Furthermore, according to the draft Grievance Redressal Rules, states are required to create a technologically equipped “time-bound and multi-tier grievance redressal mechanism” extending from the gram panchayat level to the state level.
