Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025

Source: DD News

Subject: Government Schemes

Context: President of India has granted assent to the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, passed in the Winter Session of Parliament.

About Viksit Bharat–G RAM G Act, 2025:

What it is?

• The Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 is a revamped statutory framework for rural employment that replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005. It repositions rural employment as an integrated tool for livelihood security, asset creation, and climate resilience in line with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision.

• Enhance income security of rural households through expanded employment guarantee

• Transform wage employment into rural development via durable asset creation

Key features:

• Increased guaranteed employment Statutory guarantee raised to not less than 125 days of unskilled manual work per rural household per financial year. Unemployment allowance retained if work is not provided within 15 days of demand.

• Statutory guarantee raised to not less than 125 days of unskilled manual work per rural household per financial year.

• Unemployment allowance retained if work is not provided within 15 days of demand.

• Centrally sponsored scheme with revised funding pattern Implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS). 60:40 Centre–State sharing for most states; 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan states; 100% central funding for UTs without legislatures. States continue to bear unemployment allowance and delay compensation.

• Implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS).

• 60:40 Centre–State sharing for most states; 90:10 for North-Eastern and Himalayan states; 100% central funding for UTs without legislatures.

• States continue to bear unemployment allowance and delay compensation.

• Normative allocations with state responsibility for excess expenditure Centre will notify state-wise normative allocations annually based on prescribed parameters. Excess expenditure beyond allocation to be borne by states, without diluting the statutory right to work.

• Centre will notify state-wise normative allocations annually based on prescribed parameters.

• Excess expenditure beyond allocation to be borne by states, without diluting the statutory right to work.

• Pause during peak agricultural seasons States may notify an aggregated pause of up to 60 days in a year during sowing and harvesting seasons. Does not reduce the 125-day entitlement, ensuring labour availability for agriculture.

• States may notify an aggregated pause of up to 60 days in a year during sowing and harvesting seasons.

• Does not reduce the 125-day entitlement, ensuring labour availability for agriculture.

• Decentralised and integrated planning framework Gram Sabhas and Panchayats remain the core planning authorities. Works to originate from Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans prepared through participatory processes. Plans integrated with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and aggregated upward for convergence.

• Gram Sabhas and Panchayats remain the core planning authorities.

• Works to originate from Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans prepared through participatory processes.

• Plans integrated with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan and aggregated upward for convergence.

• Focus on priority development domains Works limited to four thematic areas: Water security Core rural infrastructure Livelihood-related infrastructure Climate resilience and extreme weather mitigation Assets mapped into a national rural infrastructure stack to prevent duplication.

• Works limited to four thematic areas: Water security Core rural infrastructure Livelihood-related infrastructure Climate resilience and extreme weather mitigation

• Water security

• Core rural infrastructure

• Livelihood-related infrastructure

• Climate resilience and extreme weather mitigation

• Assets mapped into a national rural infrastructure stack to prevent duplication.

• Strengthened implementation and monitoring Retains central and state councils; composition to be notified through Rules. Establishes a National Level Steering Committee and State Steering Committees for oversight, convergence, and plan aggregation.

• Retains central and state councils; composition to be notified through Rules.

• Establishes a National Level Steering Committee and State Steering Committees for oversight, convergence, and plan aggregation.

• Technology-driven transparency with social accountability Use of biometric authentication, geo-tagging, real-time dashboards, and weekly public disclosure. Social audits by Gram Sabhas strengthened to ensure inclusion and accountability.

• Use of biometric authentication, geo-tagging, real-time dashboards, and weekly public disclosure.

• Social audits by Gram Sabhas strengthened to ensure inclusion and accountability.