A major political controversy has erupted following the Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s motion in the Lok Sabha to introduce the Viksit Bharat Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025 (nicknamed the G Ram G Bill), which aims to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of 2005; Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led a strong protest and opposed the Bill under Rule 72(1), arguing that the new legislation weakens the right to employment, reduces the role of Gram Sabhas, and shifts the funding from a successful demand-based model to a pre-determined normative allocation; she also criticized the government’s reduction of the Centre’s contribution to 60% for most states and questioned the “craze” for renaming schemes; in response, the government defended the change, stating that normative funding aligns the scheme with the budgeting model of most $\text{GoI}$ schemes, ensuring predictable and rational planning, while $\text{BJP}$ leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi claimed the Congress’s objection was due to the inclusion of Lord Ram’s name in the Bill’s nickname.
| Feature | MGNREGA (Old Law) | G Ram G Bill (New Proposal – Congress View) | Government/Source View |
| Funding Model | Demand-based (Centre funds based on actual need). | Shifts to Normative Funding, allowing Centre to decide allocation beforehand, weakening the law. | Normative Funding aligns with standard $\text{GoI}$ budgeting, ensuring predictable, rational planning and still guaranteeing work/unemployment allowance. |
| Local Authority | Empowers Gram Sabhas to assess work demand. | Weakens the role and decision-making authority of Gram Sabhas. | No specific counter on Gram Sabha role provided in the text. |
| Centre’s Contribution | Higher contribution (historically). | Reduced to 60% for most states, impacting state finances. | No specific counter on 60% reduction provided in the text. |
| Nomenclature | Named after Mahatma Gandhi (MGNREGA). | The Bill is opposed for removing Mahatma Gandhi’s name (and being nicknamed after Lord Ram). | $\text{BJP}$ claims Congress is creating a fuss because they “cannot tolerate the inclusion of Lord Ram’s name.” |
