The Minimum Wages Act 1948 is an Act of

Parliament concerning Indian labour law that sets the minimum

wages that must be paid to skilled and unskilled labours. The
Indian Constitution has defined a 'living wage' that is the level of
income for a worker which will ensure a basic standard of living
including good health, dignity, comfort, education and provide for
any contingency. However, to keep in mind an industry's capacity
to pay the constitution has defined a 'fair wage'. Fair wage is that
level of wage that not just maintains a level of employment, but
seeks to increase it keeping in perspective the industrys capacity
to pay. To achieve this in its first session during November 1948,
the Central Advisory Council appointed a Tripartite Committee of
Fair Wage. This committee came up with the concept of Minimum
Wages. A minimum wage is such a wage that it not only
guarantees bare subsistence and preserves efficiency but also
provides for education, medical requirements and some level of
comfort.[1] India introduced the Minimum Wages Act in 1948,
[2]
giving both the Central government and State government
jurisdiction in fixing wages. The act is legally non-binding, but
statutory. Payment of wages below the minimum wage rate
amounts to forced labour. Wage Boards are set up to review the
industrys capacity to pay and fix minimum wages such that they
at least cover a family of fours requirements of calories, shelter,
clothing, education, medical assistance, and entertainment.
Under the law, wage rates in scheduled employments differ
across states, sectors, skills, regions and occupations owing to
difference in costs of living, regional industries' capacity to pay,
consumption patterns, etc. Hence, there is no single uniform
minimum wage rate across the country and the structure has
become overly complex.
The table below summarises minimum wages across states. All states specify
different minimum wages for different occupations and skill levels within those
occupations. Except for Andaman and Nicobar, no state makes variations in wage

rates across districts. The table below briefly shows if the states account for
Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) that are linked and fixed according to a cost of
living index (CPI in case of India), the range of minimum wages, and when these
wages were last updated/revised. The period within which minimum wages are
revised is different for different states. Some states revise their respective minimum
wage rates every six months while some do so in 5 years. This anomaly reflects how
in some cases minimum wage rates are as low as INR 38/day.
Lowest
Minimu
m
Wage
Basic
and
VDA/
State

Speci
al
Allow

Rate(p
No. of
Minim
um
Wages

ance

er

Highest

day),

Minimu

occupa

m Wage

tion

Rate(per

and

day)

date
With
Effect
From(w
ef)

Andaman and Nicobar

63

212

322

(Agricult (Construc
ure,

tion,

construc Education
tion,

and

educati

woodbase

on,

Rema
rks

loadingunloadi
ng,
wood
based
and

industry)

unorgan 1 January
2012
ised
sector)
1
January
2012
100
80

(Highly

(Unskille skilled

Arunachal Pradesh

180

workers

workers

of

of all

forestry

industri

and

es) 19

constructi

Februar

on) 19

y 2009

February
2009

208

208

(Unskille (Highly

Assam

267

skiled

workers

workers

of all

of

industri

forestry

es) 1

and

April

constructi

2012 to

on) 1

30

April 2012

Septem

to 30

ber

Septembe

2012

r 2012

151

234

(Unskille (Highly

Bihar

Chandigarh

427

387

skilled

workers

workers

of all

of

industri

forestry

es) 1

and

April

constructi

2012 to

on) 1

30

April 2012

Septem

to 30

ber

Septembe

2012

r 2012

244.53

285.88

(Unskille (Highly
d

skilled

workers

workers

of all

of

industri

forestry

es) 1

and

April

constructi

2012 to

on) 1

30

April 2012

Septem

to 30

ber

Septembe

2012

r 2012

173

190

(Unskille (Highly

Chhattisgarh

Dadra and Nagar Haveli

100

132

skilled

workers

workers

of all

of

industri

forestry

es) 1

and

April

constructi

2012 to

on) 1

30

April 2012

Septem

to 30

ber

Septembe

2012

r 2012

166.8

179.80

(Unskille (Highly

wages
are
comm
on for
33 out
of 34
industr
ies

The
govern
ment

d
workers
of all
industri
es) 1
April
2012

115
(Unskille
d
workers
Daman & Diu

213

of all
industri
es) 1
April
2012

Delhi

81

270

skilled
workers
of
forestry
and
constructi
on) 1
April 2012
128
(Highly
skilled
workers
of
forestry
and
constructi
on) 1
April 2012
328

(Unskille (Highly
d

skilled

workers

workers

of all

of

industri

forestry

es) 1

and

April

constructi

2012

on) 1

gives
a
special
allowa
nce,
not
VDA

April 2012
150
(Unskille
d
workers
Goa

109

of all
industri
es) 13
May
2010

179
(Clerks in
Commerci
al and
Industrial
establish
ments) 13
May 2010

55

Gujarat

313

(unskille 210.7
d
(Patiawali
workers
-A
in
workers
Agarbati
in Brick
industry
kilns) 1
) 1 April
April 2012
2012 to
to 30
30
Septembe
Septem
r 2012
ber
2012

Haryana

186.42

211.42

(Unskille (All
d

industries

The 6
minim
um
wage

rates
corres
workers
of all
industri
es) 1
January
2012 to
30 June

pond
)1
January
2012 to
30 June
2012

2012

to
differe
nt
skills
comm
on to
all
industr
ies

130
(Unskille
d
workers
Himachal Pradesh

38

of all
industri
es) 1
April
2012

Jammu & Kashmir

140

110

209.94
(Highly
skiled
workers
of
forestry
and
constructi
on) 1
April 2012
200

(Unskille (Skilled
d

workers

workers

of all

of all

industries

industri

)1

es) 1
October
2009

October
2009

127
(Unskille

Jharkhand

111

222

(Highly

workers

skiled

of all

workers

industri

of all

es) 1

industries

April

) 1 April

2012 to

2012 to

30

30

Septem

Septembe

ber

r 2012

2012
Karnataka

71

4.25/kg

226.69

(sched

(Peeling

(Manager

uled

cashews in Brick

employ ) 1 April

Industry)

ments)

2012 to

1 April

30

2012 to

Septem

30

ber

Septembe

2012

r 2012

Maxim
um
Minim
um
wage/
day of
Manag
er in
Brick
Indust
ry is
calcula

ted by
dividin
g the
catego
ry's
month
ly
Minim
um
wage
by 30
days
109.04
(Grade

Kerala

182

271.32

IV

(Milking

workers

cows in

of Toddy Dairy
Tapping) Farming)
2

2 August

August

2012

2012
Lakshadweep

16

200

275

(Unskille (Highly
d

skiled

workers

workers

of all

of all

industri

industries

es) 1

)1

Decemb Decembe
er 2011

r 2011

103.66
(Peons

um

and

wage/

unskille

Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

576

485

Minim

435

day

(Accounta calcula

workers

nt at

ted by

at

Powerloo

dividin

cardboa

m) 1

rd box

January

month

industry

2012 to

ly

)1

30 June

Minim

January

2012

um

2012 to

wage

30 June

by 30

2012

days

103.67

478.57

(Speci

(Un-

(Manager

al

skilled

in

Allow

workers

Powerloo

ance)

and

ms)

peon/wa
tchmen
in cardboard
box

Minim
um
wage/
day
calcula
ted by
dividin
g
month
ly
Minim

um
industry

wage

by 30
days

112.30
(Unskille
d
workers
Manipur

45

of all
industri
es) 1
Februar
y 2011
100
(Unskille
d
workers

Meghalaya

81

of all
industri
es) 24
August
2009

Mizoram

16

132

132.60
(Skilled
workers
of all
industries
)1
February
2011

140
(Skilled
workers
of all
industries
) 24
August
2009

235

(Unskille (Skilled
d

Grade II

workers

workers

of all

of all

industri
es) 1
April
2009
80

industries
) 1 April
2009

100

(Unskille (Skilled

Nagaland

144

Grade II

workers

workers

of all

of all

industri

industries

es) 1

)1

October

October

2009

2009

90
(Unskille
d
workers
Orissa

332

of all
industri
es) 13
July
2009

Pondicherry

87
without
VDA 8
with
VDA

129
(Highly
skilled
workers
of all
industries
) 13 July
2009

55

177.88

(Female

(Manager

light

of

workers

security

55/day
is the
wage
for 8
hours

in
Agricult

guards) 1

a day

ure) 1

March

of

March

2011

work

2011
209.18
154.62

(Truck/Te

(Agricult mpo/Bus

Punjab

664

ure,

Driver /

meal or

Superviso

foodgrai r /
n) 1

Stenogra

March

pher) 1

2012

March
2012

147
(Unskille
d
workers
Rajasthan

212

of all
industri
es) 1
May
2012

Sikkim

100

130

217
(Highly
skilled
workers
of all
industries
) 1 May
2012

190

(Unskille (Highly

d
workers
of all
industri
es) 1
July
2010

skilled
workers
of all
industries
) 1 July
2010

Rs.
85

Tamil Nadu

69

85/day

(Women 273
workers
(Neera
in
tapping)
agricult
1 April
ure) 1
2012
April

is the

2012

daily

wage
rate
for 5
hours
of

work
Tripura

50

38

251.54

(Unskille (Highly
d

skilled

workers

worker at

at tea

Mechanic

plantati

al

ons) wef workshop

Not

) wef Not

mention mentione
ed

The
38/day
minim
um
wage
rate
includ
es
supply
of rice
and

wheat
dough
269.5

(without (All

West
Bengalhttp://www.paycheck.in/mai
n/salary/minimumwages/west-

296

245

bengal

food,

industries

Agricult

except

ure)

agricultur

January

e) January

2015

2015

82

Uttarakhand

191

(Unskille 253
d
(Skilled
workers
workers
at
at
Khandsa
engineeri
ri, Soap
ng
and
industry
Woolen
and
industri
establish
es) 1
ments) 1
April
April 2012
2012 to
to 30
30
Septembe
Septem
r 2012
ber
2012

Uttar Pradesh

178

100

220.35

(Agricult
ure) 1
April
2012 to
30
Septem
ber
2012

(All
industries
except
agricultur
e) 1 April
2012 to
30
Septembe
r 2012
Centra
l
Spher
e

162
Central Sphere

44

(Mining)
1 April
2012

1120.93

consist

(Agricultu

s of

re)

Area A

1 April
2012

and B,
both
compri
sing
metro
politan
cities