Which 1948 Indian law empowered governments to set minimum wages for specified employments?

India’s Minimum Wages Act, 1948 empowered governments to set minimum wages for specified employments.

The Act was one of independent India’s early labor-protection measures. It authorized the appropriate government to fix and revise minimum rates for scheduled employments, including categories of work considered vulnerable to low pay. Rates could differ according to occupation, skill, location, and other legally recognized factors.

The legislation did not create one identical wage for every worker across India. Instead, central and state governments exercised authority for different scheduled employments. That structure is a frequent source of confusion, because “India’s minimum wage” can refer to multiple rates rather than a single nationwide figure. The Code on Wages, 2019 later sought to consolidate several wage-related laws, including this Act.