From MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G: Does Rebranding Welfare Change the Deeper Economic and Financial Implications? Jiya Chopra, Siddhi Goyal, Anoushka Saxena, Aneesh K A

Abstract

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), enacted in 2005, aimed to address unemployment and poverty in rural India by providing the right to work. It emerged as one of the keystones of the welfare scheme in rural India. Despite considerable gains in employment generation, poverty reduction, and gender inclusion, the scheme has faced steady challenges, including delayed payments, inefficient implementation, misappropriated funds, and fiscal stress. Addressing all these shortcomings, in December 2025, the government replaced MGNREGA with Vikshit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission - Gramin (VB G RAM G). This mission is a statutory new framework aligned with Vikist Bharat mission, providing 125 days per household, guaranteeing employment, a modern mechanism, digital governance and livelihood diversification. This commentary critically analyses whether this new framework actually addresses the structural weakness of the prior scheme or whether it is a symbolic policy shift with limited transformative potential.

Keywords

Policy Making, MGNREGA, VB G RAM G, Rural India, Employment, Financial Federalism, Technology, Right to Work

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The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission - Gramin (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, marks a decisive departure from the legacy of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005. The trust in rural governance is not built on promises, but there should be a certainty of a paycheck during crisis time, which MGNREGA provided by giving 150 million households a