By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
Universal and portable social security is a major component of the draft National Labour and Employment Policy, which proposes to create a universal account by integrating the Employees Provident Fund Organisation, Employees State Insurance Corporation, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, e-SHRAM, and the State welfare boards. The draft policy, known as the Shram Shakti Niti 2025, was released on Wednesday for public consultation.
Other proposals include the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Code with risk-based inspections, gender-sensitive standards, and the convergence of various skills schemes. The draft policy presents a renewed vision for a fair, inclusive, and future-ready world of work aligned with the national aspiration of a developed India by 2047, Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.
“Rooted in India’s civilisational ethos of śrama dharma – the dignity and moral value of work, the policy envisions a labour ecosystem that ensures protection, productivity, and participation for every worker. It seeks to create a balanced framework that upholds workers’ welfare while enabling enterprises to grow and generate sustainable livelihoods,” Mr. Mandaviya said.
Social security portability
Expected outcomes of the policy include universal worker registration and social security portability, near-zero workplace fatalities, increased female labour-force participation, a sharp reduction in informal jobs through digital compliance, AI-driven labour-governance capacity in all States, the creation of millions of green and decent jobs, and a fully converged ‘One Nation Integrated Workforce’ ecosystem.
The last date to submit suggestions on the draft is October 27.
The draft policy seeks to increase women’s participation in the labour force to 35% by 2030, and expand entrepreneurship and career guidance initiatives for youth. It also proposes a single-window for digital compliance, with self certification and simplified returns for MSMEs. Promotion of green jobs, AI-enabled safety systems, just-transition pathways for workers, and a unified national labour data architecture ensuring inter-ministerial coherence and transparent monitoring are also part of the policy document.
Accountability plan
Policy implementation will proceed in three phases. Phase I (2025–27) focusses on institutional setup and social-security integration. During Phase II (2027–30), the nationwide rollout of universal social security accounts will be completed, along with skill-credit systems, and district-level Employment Facilitation Cells. Phase III (beyond 2030) will bring in paperless governance, predictive analytics, and continuous policy renewal.
“Progress will be tracked through real-time dashboards, a Labour & Employment Policy Evaluation Index (LPEI) benchmarking States, and an Annual National Labour Report to Parliament. Independent third-party reviews will ensure transparency and accountability,” the draft policy document says.
