Question 1

How is the daily wage calculated from the monthly rate?

Accepted Answer

The monthly rate is divided by 26 to get the daily rate, and the daily rate is multiplied by 26 to get the monthly rate - the two are always cross-checked against each other.
This 26-day figure already includes the weekly rest day's wages, as required under section 13 of the Minimum Wages Rules, 1951.

Question 2

How is the VDA calculated this cycle?

Accepted Answer

Bihar averages the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers over the preceding six months - July to December 2025 in this cycle - and converts it to a changed index (base year 1960=100).
That average of 9,696.43 translates into a VDA ranging from Rs. 8 a day for unskilled workers to Rs. 12 a day for highly skilled workers, effective 1 April 2026.

Question 3

Are there separate rates for piece-rated work?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A dedicated Schedule-III fixes block rates for 12 highly labour-intensive employments - stone breaking, bidi making, brick manufacture, hair-cutting saloons, loading and unloading, forest operations, silk industry work, earth cutting, tea garden work, lac manufacture, powerloom industries and kendu leaf processing.
Each block rate is also built from a fixed base plus the current VDA, exactly like the general schedule.

Question 4

Is overtime pay different from the normal rate?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Workers who perform duties on the weekly rest day, or work overtime on any other day, are entitled to double the normal wage rate as prescribed under Rule 25 of the Bihar Minimum Wages Rules, 1951.

Question 5

Is there any distinction between wages for men and women?

Accepted Answer

No. The notification is explicit that male and female workers doing the same or similar work must be paid at the same rate.

Question 6

When is the next revision due?

Accepted Answer

VDA is reconsidered every six months, based on the average Consumer Price Index for the preceding half-year - January to June, and July to December.
The next revision is expected around 1 October 2026, based on the January-June 2026 average.

Question 7

Which employments does the general schedule cover?

Accepted Answer

The 89 scheduled employments under Schedule-1(B), spanning shops and commercial establishments, construction, manufacturing, agriculture-linked processing and a wide range of other industries notified by the Labour Resources Department.

Class of Employment	Basic Per Day (Rs.)	Basic Per Month (Rs.)	VDA Per Day (Rs.)	VDA Per Month (Rs.)	Total Per Day (Rs.)	Total Per Month (Rs.)
Unskilled	428	11,128	8	208	436	11,336
Semi-Skilled	444	11,544	8	208	452	11,752
Skilled	541	14,066	10	260	551	14,326
Highly Skilled	660	17,160	12	312	672	17,472

Minimum Wages in Bihar 2026

Two things to check first

Scheduled Employments: Wage Rates by Category

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Frequently Asked Questions

Every state revises wages on its own calendar. Payroll has to keep up with all of them.