Homemakers 'nation builders,' their work worth minimum ₹30,000/month: SC 
11 Jun 2026

The Supreme Court has held that unpaid domestic work by homemakers should be valued at a minimum of ₹30,000 per month while calculating compensation for their deaths in road accidents.

The court emphasized that homemakers should be recognized as "nation builders."

The ruling was pronounced by Justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh in an appeal related to a motor accident claim in Punjab.

'The homemaker builds nation'
Legal efficiency

"We are also of the view that the housewife contributes to the growth of the human being and the nation. The homemaker builds nation. So we have laid down the principles, and as a nation builder, we have housewife, we have quantified the amount that the loss of domestic care monthly income minimum in any event would be 30,000 per month," Justice Karol said.

Case dates back to 2001 road accident
Case background

The ruling came in an appeal arising from a 2001 motor accident claim in Punjab, where a woman named Reshma was killed. Her husband and three children sought compensation from the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal.

Although they were awarded compensation in 2003, the case continued to be litigated for years.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court finally decided on their appeal in December 2024, over two decades after the accident.

SC expresses concern over delays in deciding appeals 
SC

The Supreme Court expressed concern about such delays, saying that vehicle accident compensation claims should typically be resolved within a year. "Such cases should be decided within a year," the bench stated.

It further requested Chief Justices of all the High Courts to monitor the progress of Motor Vehicles Act (MV Act) cases and that "what is laid down under Section 169 of the Act, namely that it be a summary procedure, would be followed in letter and spirit."

Court's ruling builds on previous judgments
Legal evolution

The Supreme Court's ruling builds on earlier precedents where the court recognized the economic value of homemakers' contributions.

In cases like Kirti v/s Oriental Insurance Co Ltd (2021) and Arun Kumar Agrawal v/s National Insurance Co Ltd (2010), it had warned against treating homemakers' services as valueless just because they don't earn a formal salary.