VB-G Ram G: President Murmu gives assent to Bill; opposition accuses govt of undermining Gandhi’s legacy

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday gave assent to the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB—G RAM G) Bill, 2025, which replaces the two-decade-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).The new law aims to provide a statutory guarantee of 125 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work. According to an official statement, the legislation "establishes a modern statutory framework aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047, guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment per rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work."The Lok Sabha passed the bill on Thursday amid sustained opposition protests that led to repeated disruptions and the adjournment of the House.Opposition parties strongly criticized the repeal and renaming of MGNREGA. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra accused the government of undermining Gandhi’s legacy, saying, “The Bill is destroying the idea of Ram Rajya both in letter and spirit by repealing MGNREGA and renaming the scheme.”