Mgnrega

Punjab govt's move against VB-G RAM G Act unconstitutional: Shivraj Chouhan

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the move to bring a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act in the Punjab assembly was undemocratic and against the basic spirit of the Constitution, which reflected "blind opposition" politics. Addressing a press conference here, Chouhan said it is the Constitutional responsibility of states to abide by Parliamentary laws. The AAP government on Tuesday brought a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and accused the BJP-led Centre of trying to finish the MGNREGA. Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond tabled the resolution in the House for discussion during the one-day session of the assembly. Chouhan targeted opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he lives in a "world of imagination" and has no connection with the realities of the country. "Speaking out whatever comes to one's mind is not responsible politics," Chouhan said. He was referring to Gandhi's recent claim that

Punjab's AAP govt brings resolution in Assembly against VB-G RAM G Act

The AAP government on Tuesday brought a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and accused the BJP-led Centre of trying to finish the MGNREGA. Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond tabled the resolution in the House for discussion during the one-day session of the assembly. Sond said that the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G, Act will severely impact below-poverty-line families, Scheduled Caste communities, and rural labourers who depend on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for survival. Sond alleged that the Centre wanted to "finish" the MGNREGA, and demanded its restoration. According to the resolution, the state assembly deprecated the VB-G RAM G Act, which it said takes away the right to guaranteed wages/employment from poor labourers, women, and lakhs of job card-holding families of the state. It recommended that the state government take up the

States will gain ₹17,000 crore due to VB-G RAM G, says SBI paper

The paper has taken seven criteria and divided them into equity and efficiency. To simulate the hypothetical scenario, it takes seven parameters and assigns weights to balance both equity and efficien

Centre 'attempting to dilute' MGNREGA, alleges Congress veteran A K Antony

Veteran Congress leader A K Antony on Sunday accused the Centre of "attempting to dilute" the basic principles of MGNREGA and gradually dismantle the programme. He alleged that it is a clear evidence of an attack on social justice, and called for a strong protest through Gandhian methods against such moves. Antony was speaking after hoisting the party flag at the KPCC office here and receiving a guard of honour from Seva Dal volunteers as part of the celebrations marking the 141st foundation day of the Indian National Congress. According to the former Defence Minister, the present situation in the country is not conducive to celebrate the Congress foundation day, and it is time to reflect on Gandhian methods of struggle to strongly protest nationwide and to protect India. Those at the Centre are attempting to glorify Godse instead of Gandhiji and are dividing the people instead of following the Gandhian path. He further alleged that a regime which considers Savarkar as a national

Congress to launch 'MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan' from Jan 5, says Kharge

A nationwide campaign was needed against the repeal of the rural employment scheme MGNREGA, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday, pointing to the three farm laws that the government was eventually forced to repeal following strong opposition against it. Speaking at the Congress Working Committee meeting here, Kharge also said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was a "well-planned conspiracy" to limit democratic rights. He said the meeting was being held at a time when the democracy, Constitution and citizen's rights were under serious threat. He said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was a visionary legislation of the UPA government, which was appreciated across the world. The scheme was named after Mahatma Gandhi due to the impact it had, Kharge said. "The Modi government has, without any study, evaluation or consultation with states and political parties, repealed the law. This is just as they did with

Scrapping MGNREGA devastating attack on poor, PM acted alone: Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi said the UPA-era MGNREGA was not merely a work programme, but a rights-based development framework recognised internationally

Hold awareness meetings on G RAM G law: Centre to gram panchayats

According to an official letter issued a few days ago, the gram sabhas should ensure active participation of villagers, workers, women, SC/ST households and other vulnerable groups

Best of BS Opinion: NCLT courts must fix institutional gaps

From tribunal capacity and procedural certainty to tanker seizures that could hit India's economy, today's Best of BS Opinion also looks at Budget-impact laws, AI agents, and a book on sanctions

Three Bills and a Budget: How the winter session impacts future budgets

Three laws passed in Parliament could boost central revenues, reshape GST cess flows, shift MGNREGA costs to states and create new budget headroom ahead of the 2026-27 Union Budget

Name changer or game changer? MGNREGA replaced with 125-day promise

President Murmu clears the Viksit Bharat Rozgar Act, raising guaranteed rural workdays to 125 and overhauling funding norms, seasonality rules, and budget limits

MGNREGA and the weight of change reignites debate over implementation

The proposal to rename the rural employment scheme, raise the number of guaranteed workdays and alter its cost-sharing structure has reignited debate over its implementation and intent

SAD chief Badal demands rollback of VB-G RAM G, says it will impact poor

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday demanded that the Centre withdraw the VB-G RAM G Act, saying it will adversely impact the poor and put additional financial burden on states. Badal also demanded that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme be restored. The former deputy chief minister's remarks came a day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which replaces the MGNREGA and has a provision for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers. Addressing the media in Amritsar, Badal said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) ensured 100 days of employment and it was completely funded by the Centre. Referring to the VB-G RAM G Act, he said, "The government should withdraw its decision as it will directly impact the lives of the poor." He also criticised the government's decision to drop Mahatma

Congress announces public agitation campaign to repeal abolition of MGNREGA

On Sunday, Jairam Ramesh said MGNREGA's core character has been altered and announced that the Congress Working Committee on December 27 will finalise a nationwide action plan

Priyank Kharge claims G RAM G Act weakens MGNREGA's rights-based framework

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday strongly criticised the Union government's VB-G RAM G act 2025 that replaced MGNREGA, claiming that changes in the new legislation weaken and undermine the previous act's core promise as a rights-based rural employment programme. In a post on social media platform 'X', Priyank Kharge said the act would gradually make the scheme untenable by transforming it from a demand-driven legal entitlement into a supply-driven arrangement, thereby stripping citizens of their right to demand work. He observed that while the Centre would retain most decision-making powers, states would be forced to shoulder the bulk of the financial and administrative burden. "Much has been spoken about the VB-G RAM G Bill. But beyond everything else, these changes will slowly make the scheme untenable and eventually kill the idea of a rights-based rural employment guarantee," Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, said in his post. The minister,

Will negatively effect rural economy: Karti Chidambaram slams G RAM G law

The law guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work

VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025 becomes law as President Murmu gives assent

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, the Rural Development Ministry said. The VB-G RAM G Bill, 2025, was passed by Parliament, amid opposition protests. It seeks to replace the existing rural employment law, MGNREGA, and guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household per financial year. According to the government, the new scheme aims to establish a rural development framework aligned with the national vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.

Govt removing Gandhi's name from rural jobs bill hurts Congress: Khurshid

Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Saturday said the party is hurt by the government's move to pass the VB-G RAM G Bill in Parliament, replacing the MGNREGA and thereby "removing" Mahatma Gandhi's name, but stressed that he lives in the hearts of the people. Addressing a press conference as part of the Congress' nationwide campaign on MGNREGA and the latest development in the National Herald case, he said, "MGNREGA has two aspects. One is the emotional aspect for us, for our country." "MGNREGA was associated with Mahatma Gandhi's personality, with his greatness, with his name. They have removed it. A question arises about what benefit anyone will get by it and what purpose it will serve," Khurshid said. Gandhiji continues to live in the hearts of the people of India, and his name cannot be erased, he said. "We are hurt, but no one can diminish it, no one can erase it. The public will give the answer to this." The former external affairs minister said Gandhiji's name was not just ..

Modi govt bulldozed MGNREGA, we will fight black law: Sonia Gandhi

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused the Modi government of bulldozing the MGNREGA, and asserted that the "black law" that seeks to repeal it will be defied the lakhs of party workers. In a video message, she said that by weakening MGNREGA, the Modi government had attacked the interests of crores of farmers, labourers, and landless across the country. She alleged that over the past 11 years, the Centre had ignored the interests of the rural poor. Gandhi said she vividly remembers the day 20 years ago, when Manmohan Singh was prime minister, and the MGNREGA Act was passed in Parliament by consensus. The former party president said it was "such a revolutionary step," and became a means of livelihood for the deprived, the exploited, and the poorest of the poor. She said, due to MGNREGA, migration in search of work came to a halt, a legal right to employment was provided, and gram panchayats were empowered. "Through MGNREGA, a concrete step was ta

Did MGNREGA act as safety net for casual labour during sowing, harvest?

Civil society groups say the VB-G RAM G Bill could weaken casual labour's bargaining power, as MGNREGA served as a safety net and fall back option when farm wages turned unattractive

PM suffering from 'acronym-itis': Congress after passage of G RAM G Bill

A day after Parliament passed the VB-G RAM G Bill that seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA, the Congress on Friday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he is suffering from a "case of acute acronym-itis". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posted on X a cartoon representation on X which read: "All new A.C.R.O.N.Y.M MANTRALAYA - Administrative Commission for Renaming Old Schemes -- New Yet Meaningless". "The PM is suffering from a case of acute acronym-itis," Ramesh said in his post accompanying the cartoon. His dig came a day after the passage of two bills in Parliament with catchy acronyms -- Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill and the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill. The VB-G RAM G Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote, hours after the Lok Sabha cleared it on Thursday, amid strong protests by the opposition