As the Left starts outraging over ‘name change’: Here is how the new VB G RAM G is a marked improvement on MGNREGA

The Modi government is set to propose the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) on the 16th of December 2025 in the Lok Sabha. The VB-G RAM G legislation is meant to repeal the existing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). While the proposed legislation comes with marked improvement on the MGNREGA or MNREGA, the left liberal cabal has started outrage and downplaying VB-G RAM G as a mere old product in new packaging. In this vein, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi said, “Whenever a scheme’s name is changed, think about how many offices, stationery & other elements are involved that incur costs.” On renaming of MNREGA to Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana, @priyankagandhi educates-"Whenever a scheme’s name is changed, think about how many offices, stationery & other elements are involved that incur costs"MT…Govt Schemes/Assets RENAMED to glorify Dynast Nehru Family… pic.twitter.com/w8BcctiXMP— BhikuMhatre (@MumbaichaDon) December 15, 2025 The Congress leader, however, did not mention that during Congress rule in the past, the names of numerous airports, roads, government schemes, scholarships and even offices were changed after Congress leaders, including former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. ‘Journalist’ Suhasini Haidar asserted that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi goes around the world installing busts of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, he drops the latter’s name from a domestic bill on rural employment guarantees in his name. “PM and EAM travel the world installing busts of Mahatma Gandhi, but government drop the Mahatma from a domestic bill on rural employment guarantees in his name,” Haidar wrote. Source:X One pro-Congress troll suggested that the Central government not retaining MK Gandhi’s name in the proposed legislation meant to replace MNREGA, amounts to “hatred” for Gandhi. “This is all Modi is good for, can’t create new schemes so change the names of Congress’s schemes and call it their own. Good to see BJP not pretending anymore and hiding their hate for Mahatma Gandhi,” he wrote. Source:X The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has demanded withdrawal of the bill, calling it a “sinister change” reflecting the BJP-RSS ideological bent. Source:X Contrary to the leftist narrative, VB G RAM G is not mere rebranding but a comprehensive overhaul While the anti-BJP parties and the left-liberal ecosystem are needlessly outraged over the ‘name change’ of MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G, the proposed legislation is a substantive upgrade, rather, an overhaul framed to modernise rural employment, boost infrastructure, and align with the Modi government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 Vision of transforming India into a developed nation. Enacted in 2005, the MGNREGA provided a demand-driven safety net; however, it grappled with multifaceted challenges, including leakages, uneven implementation, in addition to limited long-term asset creation. The new VB-G RAM G addresses these challenges head-on by boosting worker entitlements, improving accountability, and fostering cooperative federalism required for sustainable growth. The VB-G RAM G metamorphoses MGNREGA from a reactive welfare scheme to a proactive mission for rural employment. While the MGNREGA offered 100 days of employment per household, the new legislation, if implemented, will provide 125 days of work per household. This will ensure rural households have higher income security. In addition, the increased working days will potentially add Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 to the annual income for millions of workers. Previously, the wage payment was done fortnightly with delays up to 15 days. Under VB-G RAM G, the wages will be disbursed weekly, ensuring a quicker and reliable cash flow for labourers/workers. The funding split arrangement has also been modified. Earlier, the Centre provided 90 per cent of the funding; now there will be a 60:40 funding split between the Centre and State, respectively. In the context of special states, the Centre-State ratio will be 90:10. The more balanced funding ratio will ensure greater state accountability and also curb scope for financial strain and misuse. “If the legislation is implemented across the country, the total estimated annual requirement of funds on wage, material and administrative components is ₹1,51,282 crores (Rupees one lakh fifty-one thousand two hundred eighty-two crore), including the state share. Of this, the estimated Central share is ₹95,692.31 crores (Rupees ninety-five thousand six hundred ninety-two crore and thirty-one lakhs,” the draft of the VB-G RAM G Bill reads. Contrary to the assertion that a normative funding approach would weaken the 100-day work guarantee, the guarantee is bolstered with employment days increased to 125. The Centre emphasises forecasting accuracy shown by FY 2024-25 when allocation matched demand perfectly. While MGNREGA’s demand-driven approach led to unpre