The Center has notified the revised pay rates under the Viksit Bharat – Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Guarantee (Gramin) Act 2025 – also known as ‘VB-G RAM G’ – with the new rates coming into effect from Wednesday, July 1, coinciding with the nationwide rollout of the law.
Introduces revised pay structure A $300 temporary basic wage per day, ensuring that no worker under the program receives less than $300 per day. The government said the move aims to increase income in rural areas, reduce wage disparity between states and enhance livelihood security.
“Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, our government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of development reach every poor household. The inauguration of the VB-G RAM G Act is a historic step towards building Vixit Bharat through thriving villages,” a PIB statement quoted Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said.
“Along with expanding the employment guarantee to 125 days, we have ensured better wages for rural workers. The largest increase has been provided to countries where wages have historically been lower, so that those who need the most support benefit the most,” he added.
According to the government, wage rates have been increased in all 34 states, union territories and pay areas, with the national average wage rising from $298.8 per day under MGNREGA to $327.4 per day under VB-G RAM G – an increase of $28.6 per day.
The average wage increase across the country is more than 10 percent, the center said.
Complete List of Revised VB-G RAM G Pay Rates (Effective July 1, 2026)
State/UT Revised Daily Wage (?)
Andhra Pradesh $307
Arunachal Pradesh $300
Assam $300
Bihar $300
Chhattisgarh $300
By air $406
Gujarat $316
Haryana $409
Himachal Pradesh $328
Jammu and Kashmir $329
Jharkhand $300
Karnataka $349
Kerala $401
Ladakh $300
Madhya Pradesh $300
Maharashtra $312
Manipur $300
Meghalaya $300
Mizoram $300
Nagaland $300
Odisha $300
Punjab $336
Rajasthan $308
Sikkim $450 (high rise panchayats)
Tamil Nadu $336
Telangana $307
Tripura $300
Uttar Pradesh $300
Uttarakhand $300
West Bengal $300
Andaman and Nicobar Islands $300
Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu $300
Lakshadweep $300
Puducherry $300
The government said that 21 states and administrative units had earlier had lower wages $The 300 has now been raised to the new standard. Before the revision, the minimum wage notified under the Rural Employment Program was $241 per day.
“The revised wage structure is designed to ensure that the greatest gains accrue to countries where wage rates have historically been lower,” the center said.
Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland recorded the highest percentage increase, at about 24.5 per cent, while significant increases were also announced in states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
States that already had higher wage rates also received upward revisions. Post Notification, Haryana ( $409), by air ( $406), Kerala (Rs401) and high-altitude gram panchayats in Sikkim ( $450) crossed $400 per day mark.
The government said the revised rates were calculated through a “transparent and objective methodology” that combines the annual index with the newly introduced temporary basic wage.
The VB-G RAM G Act expands guaranteed wage employment to 125 days for each eligible rural household. The combination of longer employment guarantee and higher wages will boost rural purchasing power, boost incomes, and support rural asset creation, the center said.
“This historic wage revision will boost rural livelihoods, increase purchasing power, and accelerate overall development across rural India,” Chouhan said.
