The Government of India has notified the revised wage rates payable under the VB- G RAM G  Act, 2025, with effect from 1 July 2026, coinciding with the nationwide commencement of the Act.

The revised notification marks a landmark step towards strengthening rural livelihoods by ensuring higher wages, reducing regional disparities and reinforcing the dignity of labour.

A defining feature of the notification is the introduction of a ₹300 interim base wage rate, ensuring that no notified wage under the programme is below ₹300 per day.

The revised wage notification provides for an increase in wage rates across all States, Union Territories and wage regions, making it one of the most significant wage revisions under the national rural employment programme.

The key highlights are:

Wage rates increased across all 34 States/UTs and wage regions.

21 States/UTs and administrative units have been brought up to the new ₹300 interim base wage rate.

The national average notified wage has increased from ₹298.8 per day under MGNREGA to ₹327.4 per day under VB–G RAM G, representing an average increase of ₹28.6 per day.

The average percentage increase across the country exceeds 10 per cent.

₹300 Becomes the New National Benchmark for Rural Wages under VB- G RAM G.

For the first time under the national rural employment programme, an interim base wage rate of ₹300 per day has been introduced.

Prior to this notification, wage rates in several States were below ₹300, with the lowest notified wage being ₹241 per day. Under the revised notification, every such State has been brought up to the new benchmark, significantly improving income security for rural workers while narrowing long-standing regional wage disparities.

The new interim base wage rate directly benefits 21 States and administrative units.

Workers in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland receive the highest percentage increase of nearly 24.5 per cent, while substantial increases have also been notified for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and several other States.

States that already had wage rates above the interim base wage have also received revisions based on the prescribed methodology.

Following the notification, Haryana (₹409), Goa (₹406), Kerala (₹401) and Sikkim (High Altitude Gram Panchayats) (₹450) now have notified wage rates exceeding ₹400 per day, compared to only one wage region under the previous wage structure. The revised wages have been notified under the provisions of the VB–G RAM G Act, 2025 based on a transparent and objective methodology.