Lok Sabha Passes Controversial VB-G RAM G Bill Amid Opposition Protests
Opposition tears copies of legislation, accuses government of dismantling MGNREGA’s rights-based guarantee for rural employment
NewsArc Report December 18, 2025
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025—commonly referred to as the VB-G RAM G Bill—amid chaotic scenes as Opposition members tore copies of the document and staged vociferous protests, alleging it effectively phases out the landmark Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Introduced as a replacement for the 2005 MGNREGA scheme, the new bill promises 125 days of wage employment annually (up from 100 days) but shifts significant financial and administrative burdens to state governments while introducing technology-driven monitoring and seasonal opt-out provisions. Critics, led by the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties, termed it a “betrayal” of rural workers, warning that it dilutes the legal right to work and could lead to the scheme’s gradual erosion as states struggle with funding.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the bill as a “deception,” stating that the increase to 125 days is mere optics and the real intent is to end MGNREGA by making it unsustainable for states. INDIA bloc MPs, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, held protests outside Parliament, chanting slogans against the “renaming and hollowing out” of a programme that provided critical support during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill’s passage comes alongside other parliamentary developments, including the introduction of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, aimed at boosting small modular reactors and private participation in nuclear energy.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his diplomatic engagements in Oman, where the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed earlier in the day, marking another highlight of December 18.
The contentious rural employment legislation has sparked nationwide debate on federalism, workers’ rights, and the future of social welfare schemes in India.
