Jaipur | Thursday, January 29, 2026
The Union government has implemented the Viksit Bharat–Jee Ram Jee (VB–Jee Ram Jee) Act, 2025, introducing an expanded rural employment framework that guarantees 125 days of wage employment per financial year, up from the earlier 100 days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The new legislation aims to strengthen rural livelihoods by combining employment generation with the creation of sustainable public infrastructure. It also provides a 60-day “no-work period” during peak agricultural seasons to accommodate farming activities, with the objective of reinforcing rural development up to 2047.
According to the provisions of the Act, employment generation will be closely linked to activities such as water conservation, livelihood support and the development of durable rural infrastructure. Planning will be decentralised, with Gram Panchayats designing projects based on local needs.
To enhance transparency and curb corruption, the Act mandates the use of GPS-based tracking, Management Information System (MIS) dashboards and AI-based monitoring mechanisms.
The legislation also strengthens wage security. Under Section 5(3), wages must be paid on a weekly basis or, in any case, within 15 days of the completion of work. In the event of delays beyond the stipulated period, compensation will be payable to workers as outlined in Schedule II of the Act.
Employment under the Act is aligned with the creation of sustainable and useful rural infrastructure across four priority thematic areas, as specified under Section 4(2).
The stated objective of the legislation is to enhance statutory wage employment guarantees for rural households, promote empowerment and inclusive growth, and ensure convergence and saturation of government services to build a self-reliant rural economy.
Earlier, Parliament had passed the Viksit Bharat–Employment and Livelihood Guarantee Mission (Rural) Bill, 2025, which laid the foundation for reforms in the rural employment and development framework.
The Viksit Bharat–Jee Ram Jee Act, 2025 replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, establishing a modern statutory framework focused on livelihood security and positioning rural employment as an integrated instrument of development rather than a standalone welfare scheme.
