GRAM G Bill, 2025: A Revised Rural Employment Guarantee with Infrastructure Focus
1) Viksit Bharat–G RAM G Bill, 2025 proposes replacing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with a new statutory rural employment framework linked to the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
2) The Bill raises the guaranteed wage employment to 125 days per rural household per financial year, compared to the earlier 100-day entitlement under MGNREGA.
3) It introduces an aggregated 60-day “no-work” pause during sowing and harvesting seasons to avoid disrupting peak farm operations, while still ensuring 125 workdays within the remaining 305 days.
4) Wage payments are tightened: wages must be paid weekly, or at the latest within 15 days (a fortnight) after the work is completed.
5) Works are tied to durable rural assets under four priority verticals: water security works, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-linked infrastructure, and special works for extreme weather risk mitigation.
6) All created assets will be pooled into the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack to enable unified tracking, coordination, and outcome monitoring at the national level.
7) Planning is decentralised through Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans prepared locally, and these plans are spatially linked with PM Gati Shakti for integrated infrastructure planning.
8) Funding shifts from demand-based releases to a normative allocation model to reduce budget uncertainty, while keeping legal entitlements intact.
9) Estimated annual funds requirement for wages, material, and administration is ₹1,51,282 crore (including State share), with estimated Central share at ₹95,692.31 crore.
10) Cost sharing is set at 60:40 between Centre and States; 90:10 for North Eastern and Himalayan States; and 100% Central funding for Union Territories without legislatures.
11) The administrative expenditure ceiling increases from 6% to 9% to strengthen staffing, pay, training, and technical capacity for planning, execution, and accountability.
12) Women’s participation under MGNREGA increased from 48% to 58.15% between FY 2013-14 and FY 2025-26, alongside near-universal electronic wage payments and wider Aadhaar-based governance.
13) Monitoring findings cited include works not found on ground, spending not matching physical progress, machine use in labour works, bypassing digital attendance, and accumulated misappropriation.
14) Unemployment allowance becomes payable if work is not provided: after 15 days, a daily allowance is due; liability rests on States; and rates and conditions will be set through rules.
15) Governance includes Central and State Gramin Rozgar Guarantee Councils, Steering Committees, Panchayati Raj Institutions, District Programme Coordinators, Programme Officers, and stronger Gram Sabha social audits at least once every six months.
Must Know Terms :
1) Normative Allocation: Funds are fixed in advance using standard norms (households, expected person-days, unit costs, admin limits), so money is sanctioned upfront instead of waiting for demand spikes. This reduces mid-year cash shortage, late wage payments, and sudden supplementary demands. Legal right to work remains, but budget flow becomes more predictable for States and districts.
2) Unemployment Allowance: If work is not given within 15 days of demand, a daily allowance becomes payable. Payment liability is on the State, so States lose money if they fail to provide work. The exact rate, eligibility rules, and payment process are notified through rules. This creates a direct financial penalty for delay in providing employment.
3) Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans: Village-level plans listing works, locations, and season-wise schedule, prepared locally by Gram Panchayat with Gram Sabha role. These plans prioritise practical works like water harvesting, drainage, rural roads, community assets, and livelihood-support works. They are mapped with PM Gati Shakti so village projects align with larger road/utility corridors and avoid duplication.
4) Rural Infrastructure Stack: A single national asset database where every created work is recorded with location and basic details for tracking. It is meant to show what asset was built, where, cost, stage, and expected use. This helps prevent “work not found on ground” cases, supports monitoring of physical progress versus spending, and improves transparency across districts and States.
5) Administrative Expenditure Ceiling: Maximum allowed share for admin costs such as field staff, technical measurements, training, supervision, and system support. Raising the ceiling from 6% to 9% increases money available for staffing and technical capacity. The intent is faster approvals, better worksite checks, stronger monitoring, and fewer payment delays and execution gaps.
6) Social Audit Frequency: Social audits must happen at least once every six months in Gram Sabha. Records like attendance, worksite existence, measurements, and wage payments are publicly checked. Regular audits reduce scope for fake works, machine use in labour works, and record manipulation. Findings are expected to trigger recovery, corrective action, and accountability steps faster.
MCQ:
1. Under the GRAM G Bill, 2025, the proposed annual wage-work entitlement per rural household is:
(a) 100 days
(b) 110 days
(c) 125 days
(d) 150 days
2. The Bill introduces an aggregated “no-work” window of:
(a) 30 days
(b) 45 days
(c) 60 days
(d) 75 days
3. Wage payments are proposed to be made:
(a) Monthly only
(b) Weekly, or not later than a fortnight after work completion
(c) Only after project completion
(d) Quarterly through cash disbursement
4. The Bill explicitly links wage employment with durable rural infrastructure through how many priority verticals?
(a) Two
(b) Three
(c) Four
(d) Five
5. Which of the following is NOT listed among the priority verticals for infrastructure linkage?
(a) Water security works
(b) Core rural infrastructure
(c) Livelihood-related infrastructure
(d) Urban metro connectivity works
6. Planning is proposed to be decentralised through locally prepared:
(a) District Vision 2035 Reports
(b) Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans
(c) State Capital Region Plans
(d) Regional Industrial Master Plans
7. Assets created are proposed to be aggregated into a national rural infrastructure:
(a) Ledger
(b) Stack
(c) Portal
(d) Census
8. A major funding design shift proposed is moving from:
(a) Normative allocation to demand-based funding
(b) Demand-based funding to normative allocation
(c) State-only funding to private funding
(d) Cash funding to barter funding
9. The standard cost-sharing ratio indicated is:
(a) 50:50
(b) 60:40
(c) 70:30
(d) 75:25
10. For North Eastern and Himalayan states, the enhanced support ratio indicated is:
(a) 80:20
(b) 85:15
(c) 90:10
(d) 95:05
11. For Union Territories without legislatures, the funding pattern indicated is:
(a) 60:40
(b) 75:25
(c) 90:10
(d) Full central funding
12. The administrative expenditure ceiling is proposed to be increased from 6% to:
(a) 7%
(b) 8%
(c) 9%
(d) 10%
13. The Bill proposes that Gram Panchayats should implement at least the following share of works in cost terms:
(a) One-fourth
(b) One-third
(c) Half
(d) Three-fourths
14. If work is not provided, unemployment allowance becomes payable after:
(a) 7 days
(b) 10 days
(c) 15 days
(d) 30 days
15. Mandatory social audits are proposed to be conducted at least:
(a) Once every month
(b) Once every quarter
(c) Once every six months
(d) Once every year
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