MGNREGA out, VB-G RAM G Bill in: 125 days work, 60-day break, new funding model

• The Indian government plans to replace MGNREGA with the 'Viksit Bharat Rozgar aur Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025' (VB-G RAM G Bill).
• The new bill proposes to guarantee 125 days of wage employment per financial year for adult members of rural households, an increase from MGNREGA's effective 100 days.
• A major change involves a new funding pattern for wage costs, with the center and states sharing expenses (e.g., 60:40 for most states), unlike MGNREGA where the center bore full unskilled wage costs.
• The bill introduces a 'standard allocation' system instead of a labor budget; states will bear any costs exceeding this allocation, shifting financial burden.
• A new provision allows for a 60-day 'break' in guaranteed work during peak agricultural seasons (sowing/harvesting) to ensure labor availability for farming.

Why It Matters: New law changes rural job guarantee, shifting financial burden to states and adding work breaks.