New Delhi, Dec. 18 -- Economists and social rights on Wednesday opposed the Centre's proposed Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB 'G RAM G') Bill, 2025, which seeks to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and called for a nationwide protest against the legislation on December 19.

At a press conference at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, the speakers said the proposed bill weakens MGNREGA's core promise of a guaranteed right to work, turning a legal entitlement into a government-run scheme that depends on the Centre's discretion.

The press conference was led by economists Jean Dreze, Prabhat Patnaik and Jayati Ghosh, along with political workers Yogendra Yadav...