Seva and Samman: Reforming India’s Labour Governance

Context

Union Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, announced that ‘service and respect towards the nation’s Shram Shakti (workforce) is a basic principle of the Government’. The government considers workers and young people as fundamental pillars of nation building and is determined to ensure their dignity, health and full social security.

Core Context and Vision

• Shram Shakti is at the centre of governance, moving beyond the traditional perception of labour as an economic factor, to regard the masses as key nation builders who deserve their respect and full social protection.
• Dignity and Respect: Emphasizing that while technology and Artificial Intelligence are critical for modern progress, the human workforce remains central to India’s continued growth and prosperity.
• Viksit Bharat 2047: Empowering the workforce and upskilling youth are viewed as essential prerequisites to achieving developed-nation status.

Expanding Social Security Coverage

One of the main pillars of government’s Seva (service) strategy is the aggressive expansion of social safety nets for both the formal and informal sector.

• ESIC Expansion: The number of beneficiaries of ESIC has doubled from approximately 7.5 crore ten years ago to over 15 crore now.
• Global Milestones: The overall level of social security coverage in India has improved from 19 per cent in 2014 to more than 64 per cent today, covering a massive 94 crore people, according to data from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
• e-Shram Portal: The continuous integration of various welfare schemes on e-Shram portal is a comprehensive and single platform approach to include unorganized workers under the formal social security cover.

Recent Welfare and Infrastructure Initiatives

Demonstrating Samman (respect) on the ground involves massive investments in healthcare and welfare infrastructure to directly benefit the workforce.

• Healthcare Infrastructure: Multi-crore Out Patient Department (OPD) blocks have been installed in different healthcare facilities, including, the ESIC Hospital at Sanathnagar, Telangana to provide state of the art medical access to insured persons and their dependents.
• Draft Shram Shakti Niti: The government has advanced the draft National Labour and Employment Policy, aligning the future of work, fair labor practices, and skills training with national development goals.
• Employment Generation: The strategic development of state-specific microsites and substantial investment in employment-focused initiatives (including the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana) will encourage job creation on a massive scale.

Challenges and Way Forward

• The Gig and Platform Economy: Integrating volatile gig workers into traditional social security frameworks remains a complex regulatory hurdle.
• Enforcement of the Four Labour Codes: Harmonizing state-level rules to ensure the pan-India implementation of the reformed Labour Codes is vital to establishing uniform standards for worker safety and wages. 

Source: PIB

UPSC Mains Practice Question 

(Q) Discuss the key issues affecting labour governance in India. How can labour market reforms contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic development?

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