EconomyThursday, 2 July 2026·The Hindu - National
Centre notifies ₹300 daily floor wage under VB-GRAM G Act, 2025; Tamil Nadu hike limited to 2.7%
The Union government fixed a ₹300 daily floor wage under the VB-GRAM G Act, 2025, with Tamil Nadu seeing a 2.7% hike.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On Tuesday in 2026, the Union government notified a ₹300 per day floor wage under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-GRAM G Act, 2025, which replaced MGNREGA, 2005.
Key specifics
- VB-GRAM G Act, 2025 came into effect on Tuesday and replaced MGNREGA, 2005.
- 21 States and Union Territories that paid below ₹300 were raised to the new floor wage.
- Tamil Nadu’s wage increase was 2.7%, while Andhra Pradesh saw 1.6% and Karnataka 3.2%.
- Haryana has the highest wage rate at ₹409, followed by Goa at ₹406 and Kerala at ₹401.
- The Congress cited a 2019 expert committee led by Dr. Anoop Satpathy, which had recommended a ₹375 national minimum wage floor.
Exam lens
Economy and welfare scheme question type: minimum wage notification, MGNREGA replacement, State-wise wage rates, and committee recommendations; remember ₹300 floor wage, 2025 Act, Haryana ₹409, and Tamil Nadu 2.7%.