VB–G RAM G Bill 2025 Explained: The debate has intensified in the corridors of politics and policy-making of the country regarding changing the name of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA), considered the backbone of rural employment, to ‘Developed India-Ji Ram Ji 2025’. On Tuesday, when Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan introduced a bill related to this in the Lok Sabha, the opposition raised questions on the government’s intentions. The question is whether this change is limited to name only or whether an attempt is being made to reshape the rural employment system.
What is Vikas Bharat-Ji Ram Ji Yojana?
Actually, MNREGA was started in the year 2005 during the UPA government, the objective of which was to guarantee minimum employment to every needy family in rural areas. Under this scheme, there was a provision of 100 days of employment and about 90 percent of its expenses were borne by the Central Government. Now this structure is being changed in the proposed ‘Developed India-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural)’, i.e. VB-Ji Ram Ji Yojana. In the new bill, it has been said that the employment guarantee will be increased to 125 days, which is claimed to bring stability in the income of rural families.
The government argues that there has been a major change in the socio-economic conditions of rural India in the last 20 years and in such a situation, it is necessary to modernize laws like MNREGA as per the times. According to the Ministry of Rural Development, this new law has been prepared keeping in mind the goal of ‘Developed India 2047’, so that the rural economy can be moved towards livelihood and self-reliance rather than being limited to just wages.
What change will come?
However, the biggest and most controversial change in this scheme is regarding the funding pattern. Whereas earlier the central government used to bear 90 percent of the expenditure in MNREGA, now there is a proposal to reduce the central contribution in VB-Ji Ram Ji Scheme to 60 percent and the remaining 40 percent of the expenditure will have to be borne by the state governments. Due to this, financial pressure on the states is expected to increase. However, while giving relief to the North-Eastern and Himalayan states, the government has said that the old 90:10 formula will be continued for them.
Another major change is proposed regarding the use of technology. Provisions like AI based audit, GPS monitoring and digital surveillance have been included in the new format. The government says that this will curb fraud and ensure proper utilization of funds. But critics believe that this could impact the privacy and personal freedom of rural workers, especially since most of the workers working under the scheme come from unskilled and economically weaker backgrounds.
What do experts say?
Senior journalist Rumman Hashmi believes that this change is not just in name, but there may be a bigger strategy hidden behind it. According to him, along with changing the name of a scheme, crores of rupees are spent on its promotion, rebranding and new system, hence the government should make it clear what additional benefits this change will provide to the workers at the grassroots level. They also raise questions about whether AI and GPS-based monitoring could become a means of additional pressure or control for workers.
At present about 8 crore 30 lakh workers are getting employment under MNREGA. In such a situation, before making such a big change in the nature of the plan, it was necessary to create a broad political and social consensus. Opposition leaders, including names like Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, say the government should have held a detailed discussion on the issue outside Parliament.
Overall, this journey from MNREGA to Vikas Bharat-Ji Ram Ji Yojana does not seem to be just a change of name. This includes many elements like increase in employment days, change in funding pattern and technical monitoring, which can change the picture of rural India. The question is whether this change will actually make the lives of rural laborers easier or whether it will prove to be just a new name for a new policy – only time will answer.
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