In a landmark ruling, the Gujarat High Court has significantly raised the minimum monthly wages of Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers, bringing them closer to a “living wage” standard.
A division bench of Justices AS Supehia and RT Vachahani directed that AWWs be paid ₹24,800 per month and AWHs ₹20,300, up from their current pay of ₹10,000 and ₹5,500 respectively.
Wage Hike Effective From April 2025
The court ordered that the revised wages be implemented from April 1, 2025. Arrears must be paid accordingly. The responsibility of paying these enhanced wages will lie jointly with the Centre and the state government, or solely with the Gujarat government if necessary.
The order applies to all anganwadi workers and helpers in Gujarat, estimated at nearly one lakh as per 2024 government data. The court clarified that even those who had not approached the court would be entitled to the benefit without filing separate petitions.
HC Observes Violation Of Right To Dignity
In its detailed observations, the bench said that the honorarium previously paid — ₹10,000 for AWWs and ₹5,500 for AWHs — was inadequate and failed to reflect their crucial responsibilities.
“The meager amount impinges their arduous obligations. The irony is that the AWWs and AWHs, who fulfill the needs of pregnant and lactating mothers, and take care of the health and education of children, are deprived of living a life with dignity and respect for want of apposite remuneration,” the court observed.
The judges further ruled that denial of a “living wage” was violative of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life with dignity.
Anganwadi Programme’s Role
Anganwadi centres form part of a flagship programme of the central government aimed at providing early childhood care, nutrition and support for pregnant women and lactating mothers. AWWs and AWHs are the frontline workers who deliver these services.
Acknowledging the nature of their duties, the bench said that they were entitled to wages “at least above the minimum and fair wage” to support their families adequately.
Previous Orders Set Aside
The ruling also set aside an earlier single-judge bench order of August 2024 that had directed retrospective payment of revised wages for three years prior to the filing of the petitions. The division bench noted that implementing such a direction would cause a heavy and sudden financial burden on the state.
The single-judge bench had further directed that AWWs and AWHs be treated on par with permanent government employees and that their services be regularised. However, the division bench held that the principle of “equal pay for equal work” could not be applied in this case, since the petitioners had not established equivalence in qualifications, recruitment criteria, or responsibilities with Class-III and Class-IV government posts.
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