• Vikas Badhoria

The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, was enacted with the objective of ensuring fair and equitable remuneration for workers across various industries, thereby securing the basic means of livelihood. However, the actual efficacy of this legislation in practice—particularly in industrially backward regions such as the Jammu Division—remains questionable. This paper undertakes a socio-legal study to examine whether the implementation of minimum wages in Jammu Division adequately supports the fundamental requirements of industrial workers. Relying on doctrinal analysis, field surveys, and interviews with workers, labour officials, and employers, the study reveals substantial gaps between legislative intent and ground-level realities. The findings highlight persistent issues such as non-compliance, lack of awareness, inflation-adjusted wage inadequacy, and ineffective enforcement mechanisms. The paper concludes by proposing targeted legal reforms, increased state accountability, and improved wage indexation to make minimum wages a meaningful instrument for livelihood security in Jammu's industrial landscape.

Labour, Minimum wages, Industrial landscape, Empoyees, Constitution, Workers, Fundamental Rights,

"Assessing the Efficacy of Minimum Wages Act, 1948 in Ensuring Livelihood Security of Industrial Workers: A Socio-Legal Study in the Jammu Division", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 9, page no.c41-c49, September-2026, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2609206.pdf

"Assessing the Efficacy of Minimum Wages Act, 1948 in Ensuring Livelihood Security of Industrial Workers: A Socio-Legal Study in the Jammu Division", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 9, page no. ppc41-c49, September-2026, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2609206.pdf