The Lok Sabha has passed the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, commonly referred to as the G RAM G Bill, amid intense uproar and protests by Opposition parties. The legislation has been brought by the Centre to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), one of India’s most prominent rural employment schemes. The passage of the bill marks a major shift in India’s rural development and employment policy and has triggered sharp political debate, as reflected in G RAM G Bill news dominating parliamentary discussions.

The bill was passed on Thursday after prolonged disruptions in the House. Opposition members demanded that the legislation be referred to a standing committee for further scrutiny. When the Speaker ruled that the bill had already been discussed at length, protests escalated, with members entering the Well of the House, tearing copies of the bill and shouting slogans. Following the passage of the legislation, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day and is scheduled to reconvene on Friday at 11 am. The bill will now be taken up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha.

One of the central points of contention surrounding the MGNREGA replacement bill India is the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the legislation. Several Opposition leaders strongly criticised this move, calling it an insult to the Father of the Nation. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, DMK’s T R Baalu, and Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav led the Opposition’s attack, arguing that Mahatma Gandhi’s name symbolised the spirit of rural employment and social justice embedded in the original law.

Opposition parties also expressed concerns that the proposed rural employment guarantee bill India would impose a greater financial burden on states. They warned that the new framework could weaken the legal guarantee of employment and dilute workers’ rights under the existing system. Slogans such as “we want MGNREGA” echoed repeatedly in the House, highlighting the deep emotional and political attachment to the original scheme.

Defending the bill, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched a strong counterattack on the Congress and its legacy. Speaking during the debate, Chouhan argued that job guarantee schemes existed even before MGNREGA and accused the Congress of politicising welfare programmes. According to him, Mahatma Gandhi’s name was added to NREGA ahead of the 2009 general elections for political reasons, a claim that further inflamed Opposition reactions.

As the minister spoke, disruptions continued, with Opposition members repeatedly interrupting his remarks. Despite the chaos, Chouhan maintained that the government’s intent behind the Viksit Bharat Rozgar Ajeevika Mission was to improve efficiency, accountability and outcomes in rural employment delivery. He rejected allegations that the Narendra Modi government renames schemes arbitrarily and instead pointed to multiple welfare programmes named after members of the Nehru-Gandhi family, arguing that the Congress had historically used naming for political advantage.

Chouhan also accused the Congress of betraying Gandhian principles, stating that the party had accepted the partition of India and ignored Mahatma Gandhi’s call to disband the Congress after Independence. “The Congress itself killed Gandhian principles,” he remarked during the heated exchange, underscoring the ideological divide between the ruling party and the Opposition.

Highlighting implementation issues under MGNREGA, the minister pointed out what he described as structural flaws in the scheme. He claimed that several states spent disproportionately high amounts on labour while neglecting material procurement, which affected the quality and durability of assets created under MGNREGA. According to the government, the G RAM G Bill latest news represents an attempt to correct these shortcomings and modernise rural employment delivery.

The Lok Sabha passes G RAM G Bill moment is being seen as a watershed in India’s rural development policy. Supporters of the bill argue that it aligns with the broader Viksit Bharat vision by integrating employment generation with livelihood creation and asset building. They believe the new framework will enhance efficiency, reduce leakages and better align rural employment with long-term development goals.

However, critics fear that replacing MGNREGA could weaken statutory employment guarantees that millions of rural households depend on. The emotional and political intensity of the debate reflects the importance of rural employment schemes in India’s socio-economic landscape. For many Opposition parties, the bill symbolises not just a policy change but a challenge to the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and the welfare architecture built around his name.

The passage of the bill amid such turmoil also highlights the deep divisions in Parliament over welfare policy, federal responsibilities and the role of symbolism in legislation. As the bill moves to the Rajya Sabha, further debate and political confrontation are expected.

In conclusion, the passage of the G RAM G Bill 2025 by the Lok Sabha marks a significant and controversial shift in India’s rural employment framework. While the government sees it as a reform-oriented step towards integrated rural livelihoods, the Opposition views it as an erosion of MGNREGA’s legacy and guarantees. As reflected in top news headlines Parliament India, the bill has set the stage for an intense national debate on the future of rural employment and social welfare in the country.

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