President Droupadi Murmu has given her approval to a new law that promises more days of paid work for people living in villages. The law is called the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, or VB-G RAM G Bill. It was passed by Parliament earlier this week.
With the President’s assent, the new law will now replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been in place since the UPA government. The Rural Development Ministry confirmed the approval and said the new law seeks to give 125 days of guaranteed wage work every year to rural workers.
Under MGNREGA, states offered 100 days of guaranteed work. Some states provided an additional 50 days at their own discretion. The NDA government had earlier provided 150 days of work for Scheduled Tribe families living in forest areas. The new law sets a national statutory guarantee of 125 days of paid work for all rural workers. 
Officials said the scheme has been designed to match the government’s long-term vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047”, which aims to make India a developed nation by 2047. The ministry said the new system will try to make the wage programme more transparent and accountable. It hopes to ensure that public money is used properly and that funds reach workers on time.
Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Chouhan said the law will help improve conditions in rural areas and provide regular work to the poor. He said the scheme would also give special attention to women, people with disabilities, senior citizens and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He added that providing work close to home supported the dignity of rural labourers.
The government has set aside ₹95,000 crore for the scheme. According to a senior ministry official, the new law will address problems faced under MGNREGA. Earlier, some states avoided spending on materials and often diverted funds for other purposes. The official said that the new legislation will give more powers to gram panchayats and gram sabhas in selecting works. The aim is to ensure that money is spent properly and not simply claimed without real work being done.
The VB-G RAM G Bill is expected to expand wage employment, empower village-level institutions and make development projects run more efficiently. The ministry said the law will strengthen rural governance and give communities a greater role in planning works.
