The Gujarat High Court has directed a steep hike in the wages of Anganwadi workers (AWWs) and helpers (AWHs), ordering the state government to pay them monthly salaries of Rs 24,800 and Rs 20,300, respectively. The court also instructed that arrears from April 1, 2025, be cleared within six months.
The order was issued by a division bench of Justice A S Supehia and Justice R T Vachchhani, who clarified that the ruling would extend to all AWWs and AWHs in Gujarat, irrespective of whether they had approached the court individually.
The judges also noted that the revised amounts would be open to future revisions whenever the central or state governments announced new minimum wages.
Currently, AWWs are paid Rs 10,000 per month, while AWHs receive Rs 5,500. Highlighting the inadequacy of these sums, the court remarked: &ldquo;The meagre amount impinges their arduous obligations. The irony is that the AWWs and AWHs, who fulfil the needs of pregnant and lactating mothers, health and education of minors, are deprived of living a life with dignity and respect for want of apposite remuneration.&rdquo;
Stressing that denial of a &ldquo;living wage&rdquo; was a breach of Article 21 of the Constitution, the bench observed that those engaged in such critical duties &ldquo;are entitled to at least &lsquo;living wage&rsquo; above the &lsquo;minimum&rsquo; and &lsquo;fair wage&rsquo; so that it may supply the needs of their families with all the material things.&rdquo;
Anganwadi centres, part of a key national programme, deliver nutrition and early childcare for children under six, along with support for expectant and nursing mothers. According to government figures, Gujarat employs nearly one lakh Anganwadi workers and helpers.
This latest decision modifies an earlier ruling passed on August 2, 2024, by Justice Nikhil S Kariel, who had directed that AWWs and AWHs be treated as permanent state employees with benefits equal to regular staff. He had further ordered the central and state governments to frame a regularisation policy within six months.
That deadline lapsed in February 2025 without action, leading to protests by Anganwadi staff. The state government challenged Justice Kariel&rsquo;s order through multiple Letters Patent Appeals, contending that the financial impact would be unsustainable.
While the division bench overturned the direction granting permanent status and scrapped the award of three years&rsquo; back wages, it upheld the entitlement to minimum wages and arrears from April 2025.
At the same time, the court clarified that the principle of &ldquo;equal pay for equal work&rdquo; did not apply here, since workers had not demonstrated parity in qualifications or responsibilities with Class III and Class IV state employees.
Still, the bench recognised their statutory responsibilities under the Right to Education Act and the National Food Security Act, underlining that fair remuneration was crucial to uphold their dignity and enable them to perform effectively.
Earlier in August, thousands of Anganwadi workers rallied in Gandhinagar under the banner of the Bharatiya Anganwadi Karmachari Mahasangh, submitting a memorandum to Women and Child Development Minister Bhanu Babariya. Their charter of demands included permanent status, higher wages, improved working conditions, exemption from non-ICDS Booth Level Officer duties, and enforcement of the Supreme Court&rsquo;s 2022 ruling in the Maniben Maganbhai Bhariya case, which recommended extending the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, to Anganwadi employees.
The workers also pressed for technology upgrades, better allowances under nutrition schemes, and timely disbursal of incentives.

Court orders Rs 24,800 for workers, Rs 20,300 for helpers with arrears from April 2025

Gujarat HC Hikes Anganwadi Pay Scales

Court orders Rs 24,800 for workers, Rs 20,300 for helpers with arrears from April 2025

August 22, 2025 | 19:40 IST