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Karnataka Workers Rally Against Proposed VB‑G‑RAM G Changes to MGNREGA

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Mass Mobilization Marks 20‑Year MGNREGA Anniversary Over 10,000 rural workers gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Feb 2, 2026 for a state‑level Mahapanchayat demanding the retention of the current MGNREGA framework [1]. The demonstration coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, underscoring the scheme’s symbolic importance [1]. Protesters voiced opposition to the proposed Viksit Bharat‑Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB‑G‑RAM G) legislation, which they claim would dilute the Act’s guarantees [1].

Proposed VB‑G‑RAM G Scheme Alters Work Guarantee Mechanism Under the existing law, households can demand work and the government must provide it within 15 days or pay compensation, a demand‑driven guarantee that has persisted for two decades [1]. The VB‑G‑RAM G proposal would require a project to be identified, approved and funded before any work is assigned, effectively removing the immediate guarantee and prompting potential migration decisions [1]. Critics argue this shift undermines the rights‑based model that has sustained rural incomes during lean periods [1].

Restrictions Target Peak Agricultural Seasons The draft act would prohibit employment for 60 days during sowing and harvesting, cutting access to income precisely when farm households are most vulnerable [1]. While the government advertises up to 125 days of work per year, data show that even the statutory 100‑day guarantee yields an average of only about 45 days per household due to funding shortfalls [1]. Workers fear the new seasonal ban will exacerbate seasonal distress and increase out‑migration [1].

Digitisation and Central Funding Raise Implementation Concerns Excessive digitisation of job cards has already led to wage denial for workers who have completed tasks, with many cards reportedly deleted from the system [1]. The proposed law would shift fund release to the Centre on a 60:40 Centre‑State ratio based on “objective parameters,” concentrating financial control and risking political favouritism [1]. Activists warn this move could transform the demand‑driven programme into a command‑driven one, marginalising poorer states [1].

MGNREGA’s Impact on Dalit and Women Livelihoods Highlighted Dalit participants report moving from coerced, low‑paid labour of ₹5‑₹10 per day to organized, fair‑wage employment under MGNREGA, enhancing dignity and economic security [1]. Women cite the scheme as a source of equal pay, confidence to work alongside men, and greater involvement in village decision‑making [1]. The programme also provides a lifeline for domestic‑violence survivors and widows, reducing the need for migration [1].

Sources

Timeline

Dec 15, 2025 – The VB‑G RAM G Bill is listed in the Lok Sabha’s supplementary business; opposition MPs question the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name, warn of added financial burdens on states, and argue the proposal dismantles the rights‑based framework of MGNREGA [18].

Dec 16, 2025 – The government tables the VB‑G RAM G Bill, 2025, to replace the two‑decade‑old MGNREGA; opposition parties march to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue and demand referral to a parliamentary committee, accusing the draft of centralising decision‑making and weakening state roles [17].

Dec 17, 2025 – An editorial urges rejection of the bill, noting it shifts to a supply‑driven, centrally‑controlled scheme with a 60:40 Centre‑State funding split, raises guaranteed workdays to 125, and faces opposition from Tamil Nadu and Kerala over loss of bottom‑up governance [16].

Dec 18, 2025 – The Lok Sabha passes the VB‑G RAM G Bill by voice vote amid uproar; Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan claims the bill will create permanent rural assets, guarantees 125 days of work, and accuses Congress of killing Gandhi’s ideals [15].

Dec 18, 2025 – The Rajya Sabha passes the bill after an overnight debate, with opposition MPs staging a dharna, tearing copies of the bill, and protesting the rushed eight‑hour deliberation [14].

Dec 20, 2025 – Parliament formally approves the VB‑G RAM G Bill, replacing MGNREGA and shifting from a universal, demand‑driven program to a centrally‑controlled, supply‑driven framework [9].

Dec 21, 2025 – Congress organizes nationwide protests at district headquarters, with K.C. Venugopal declaring the bill erodes the constitutional right to work and announcing a Congress Working Committee meeting on Dec 27 and Foundation Day events on Dec 28 to reaffirm Gandhi’s ideals [12].

Dec 22, 2025 – The BJP rebuts Rahul Gandhi’s criticism, labeling his column “flight of political fancy,” and frames the VB‑G RAM G Act as an overdue repair rather than demolition, noting President Murmu’s assent on Dec 21 [11].

Dec 24, 2025 – Analysts observe that the act supersedes MGNREGA, centralises funding, removes Gandhi’s name, and was rushed through Parliament without committee review, warning of an ideological rupture in India’s welfare architecture [10].

Dec 27, 2025 (10:37 UTC) – Rahul Gandhi condemns the act as a “devastating attack” on states and the poor, likening it to demonetisation, and announces a nationwide MGNREGA Bachao Abhiyan to begin on Jan 5 2026 [8].

Dec 27, 2025 (14:44 UTC) – The Congress Working Committee decides to launch the MGNREGA Bachao Andolan on Jan 5, with senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge vowing to “save MGNREGA at all costs” and Rahul Gandhi calling the PMO’s move a “one‑man show” [6].

Dec 27, 2025 (19:36 UTC) – Civil‑society group Thannatchi rejects the reform, urges retention of MGNREGA, and calls on the Tamil Nadu government to take legal steps and organise constitutional protests until the VB‑G RAM G law is withdrawn [7].

Dec 29, 2025 – The Rural Development Ministry tells the Parliamentary Standing Committee that it will prevent “fake” MGNREGA demands during the transition, as the committee meets for the first time since the repeal of MGNREGA [5].

Jan 1, 2026 – At its 18th All‑India Conference, CITU’s Tapan Sen passes a resolution demanding repeal of the VB‑G RAM G Act and the SHANTI Act, warning that the new law overturns statutory entitlements, shifts 40 % of costs to states, and undermines federalism [4].

Jan 3, 2026 – Congress launches a nationwide MGNREGA Bachao Sangram running Jan 10–Feb 25, announces plans to challenge the act in court, and says it will consult the INDIA bloc on the way forward [3].

Jan 5, 2026 – Congress stages the first nationwide MGNREGA Bachao Andolan, with leaders pledging to defend the “constitutional right to work” and mobilising protests across rural India [6].

Jan 10, 2026 – Congress begins a 45‑day agitation against the VB‑G RAM G Act, holding district‑level press conferences, launching a day‑long fast on Jan 11, and outlining a phased mobilisation that includes gram‑panchayat chaupals (Jan 12‑29), ward‑level sit‑ins (Jan 30), state‑level gheraos (Feb 7‑15), and four major rallies (Feb 16‑25) [2].

Jan 11, 2026 – District‑level protests and a day‑long fast take place as part of the Congress agitation, with Jairam Ramesh framing the campaign as a fight for the right to work, livelihood, and accountability [2].

Feb 2, 2026 – Over 10,000 Karnataka workers gather at Freedom Park for a Mahapanchayat marking the 20‑year anniversary of MGNREGA; they protest the VB‑G RAM G framework that would remove the guaranteed‑work provision, restrict employment during sowing/harvesting, and increase digitisation‑related wage denial risks [1].

Feb 7‑15, 2026 – As scheduled in the Congress agitation plan, state‑level gheraos target legislative assemblies across several states to demand withdrawal of the VB‑G RAM G Act and restoration of MGNREGA [2].

Feb 16‑25, 2026 – Four major rallies occur nationwide, culminating the Congress 45‑day agitation and pressing the government to repeal the VB‑G RAM G Act and reinstate the rights‑based employment guarantee [2].

2005 – 2009 (historical) – The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is enacted in 2005, expands to all districts by 2008, and is renamed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in 2009, establishing a legally enforceable right to 100 days of work per rural household [9].

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