Ministry of Labour & Employment

About Ministry

• The Ministry of Labour & Employment is one of the oldest and most important Ministries of the Government of India.
• The main responsibility of the Ministry of Labour & Employment is to protect and safeguard the interests of workers in general and those who constitute the poor, deprived and disadvantage sections of the society, in particular, with due regard to creating a healthy work environment for higher production and productivity and to develop and coordinate vocational skill training and employment services.
• These objectives are sought to be achieved through enactment and implementation of various labour laws, which regulate the terms and conditions of service and employment of workers.
• At present, there are 44 labour related statutes enacted by the Central Government dealing with minimum wages, accidental and social security benefits, occupational safety and health, conditions of employment, disciplinary action, formation of trade unions, industrial relations, etc.
• Mission – Improving the working conditions and the quality of life of workers through laying down and implementing policies / programmes / schemes / projects for providing social security and welfare measures, regulating conditions of work, occupational health and safety of workers, eliminating child labour from hazardous occupations and processes, strengthening enforcement of labour laws and promoting skill development and employment services.

 

DEENDAYAL UPADHYAY SHRAMEV JAYATE KARYAKRAM

• Launched in 2014 under Ministry of Labour & Employment

Objectives

• • To improve the labour laws, improve compliance.
  • To improve condition of labour in India.

Salient Features

• • It is an umbrella scheme comprising –
  • A dedicated Shram Suvidha Portal –
    1. 1. To allot Labour Identification Number (LIN) to nearly 6 lakhs units and allow them to file online compliance for 16 out of 44 labour laws.
       2. Labour inspector can upload inspection report within 72 hours. Timely Grievance redressal mechanism.
       3. Filing of self-certified and simplified Single Online Return by the industry
  • Transparent Labour Inspection Scheme for random selection of Units for inspection –
    1. 1. Utilizing technology to eliminate human discretion in selection of units for Inspection
       2. Uploading of Inspection Reports within 72 hours of inspection mandatory
  • Universal Account Number –
    1. 1. Provident Fund account is portable and universally accessible
  • Apprentice Protsahan Yojana –
    1. 1. To increase the number of apprentices.
       2. Reimbursing 50% of the stipend paid to apprentices during first two years of their training
  • Revamped Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana –
    • 1. Introducing a Smart Card for the workers in the unorganized sector seeded with details of two more social security schemes.

 

CENTRAL SECTOR SCHEME FOR REHABILITATION OF BONDED LABOURERS

Objectives

• • To provide protection to the freed bonded labourers from eviction from their homestead.
  • To provide economic and social rehabilitation of freed bonded labourers.

Salient Features

• • It provides financial assistance for rehabilitation of a rescued bonded labour.
    1. 1. ₹1 lakh per adult male beneficiary
       2. ₹2 lakh for special category beneficiaries such as women and children
       3. ₹3 lakh in cases of extreme deprivation or marginalisation such as transgender, women or children rescued from ostensible sexual exploitation or trafficking, in cases of differently abled persons, or in situations where the district magistrate deems it fit.
  • The financial assistance for rehabilitation is 100% reimbursed by the Central Government.
  • District Administration is mandated to restore the bonded labourer to the possession of such homestead or other residential premises as early as practicable.
  • It provides for creation of a Bonded Labour Rehabilitation Fund at District level by each State with a permanent corpus of at least Rs. 10 lakh.
  • The entire penalties recovered from the perpetuators of the bonded labour upon conviction, may be deposited in this special fund.
  • This fund will be utilised for extending immediate help to the released bonded labourers.

 

PRADHAN MANTRI ROJGAR PROTSAHAN YOJANA

• Announced in Budget 2016-17.

Objectives

• • To incentivize employers promoting employment generation and providing social security benefits to the workers.

Intended Beneficiaries

• • All establishments registered with Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) can apply for availing benefits. The establishments must have a valid LIN (Labour Identification Number).

Salient Features

• • It is being implemented by Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO).
  • Under the scheme, Government is paying full employers’ contribution of 12% (towards Employees’ Provident Fund and Employees’ Pension Scheme both), for a period of 3 years in respect of new employees who have been registered with the EPFO on or after 1st April 2016, with salary up to Rs. 15,000 per month.
  • The entire system is online and AADHAR based with no human interface in the implementation of the scheme.
  • PMRPY has a dual benefit i.e. on the one hand, the employer is incentivised for increasing the employee base in the establishment through payment of EPF contribution of 12% of wage, which otherwise would have been borne by the employer and on the other hand, a large number of workers find jobs in such establishments.

 

PLATFORM FOR EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT FOR NO CHILD LABOUR (PENCIL) PORTAL

• The purpose of the online PENCIL Portal is to provide a mechanism for Enforcement of the provisions of Child & Adolescent Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 Effective implementation of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme for rehabilitation of child & adolescent labour.

Objectives

• • To foster the creation of a child labour free India, which will seamlessly integrate implementing and monitoring mechanisms for both, enforcement of the legislative provisions and effective implementation of the National Child Labour Project (NCLP).

Salient Features

• • It is an online portal which connects the Centre to the state government, district and to all project societies to combat the menace of child labour and trafficking.
  • It has five components –
    • 1. Child Tracking System,
      2. Complaint Corner,
      3. State Government,
      4. NCLP and
      5. Convergence.
  • At the State Government level the monitoring is to be done by State Resource Centre established at State Labour Department. At district level District Nodal Officers (DNOs) are nominated to take action on the complaints of their respective districts.

 

ATAL BIMIT VYAKTI KALYAN YOJNA

• The Employee’s State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has approved ‘Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna’ for providing unemployment.

Objectives

• • For providing unemployment allowance to workers rendered jobless due to the “changing employment pattern”.

Implementing Agency

• • The ESI Corporation

Eligibility Criteria

• • Workers who are Insured Persons under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948, for a period of two years continuously.

Intended Beneficiaries

• • Employees covered under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Act, 1948 (ESI Act applies to factories with 10 or more workers and it is also applicable to shops, hotels, restaurants, cinemas and road transport undertakings)

Salient Features

• • It is a scheme that aims to benefit its subscribers, who are mainly formal sector workers who have become unemployed for whatever reason, by providing cash through bank account transfer.
  • Workers will be able to draw 47% of their total contributions towards ESIC after remaining unemployed for at least 3 months from the date of leaving their previous jobs.
  • The cash benefit given to the unemployed persons searching for new employment will be 25 % of his average earning of 90 days (once in a lifetime).
  • The money will be paid from their own contribution towards the ESI scheme.

 

NATIONAL CAREER SERVICE

Objectives

• • To bridge the gap between those who need jobs and those who want to hire them, between people seeking career guidance and training and those who can provide the counselling and training.

Salient Features

• • It is the transformation of National Employment Service to provide a variety of employment related services like job matching, career counseling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, etc. which are offered through the Employment Exchanges.
  • The NCS portal provides for registration of employers, job seekers, placement organisations and training providers to offer employment related services online.

 

NATIONAL CHILD LABOUR PROJECT SCHEME

• NCLP scheme was introduced in 1988

Objectives

• • To eliminate all forms of child labour
  • To contribute to the withdrawal of all adolescent workers from Hazardous Occupations/ Processes and their Skilling and integration in appropriate occupations.
  • Raising awareness amongst stakeholders and target communities
  • Creation of a Child Labour Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting System

Intended Beneficiaries

• • All child workers below the age of 14 years in the identified target area
  • Adolescent workers below the age of 18 years in hazardous occupations/processes
  • Families of Child workers

Salient Features

• • The overall approach of the project is to create an enabling environment in the target area, where children are motivated and empowered through various measures to enroll in schools and refrain from working, and households are provided with alternatives to improve their income levels.
  • It will be implemented in close coordination with State, District administration and civil society.
  • The children engaged in child labour would be identified and withdrawn from the identified areas.
  • They are then prepared for mainstream education along with vocational training and ensure convergence of services for the benefit of child and family.
  • The payment of stipend to the children is made on modular basis for a minimum of three months through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)

 

PM SHRAM-YOGI MAANDHAN YOJANA

• Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) is a voluntary and contributory Pension Scheme, launched in Feb, 2019.

Objectives

• • To provide pension to unorganized sector.

Intended Beneficiaries

• • Unorganised workers whose monthly income is Rs 15,000/ per month or less and belong to the entry age group of 18-40 years are eligible for the scheme
    • They should not be covered under New Pension Scheme (NPS), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme or Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
    • Further, he/she should not be an income tax payer.

Salient Features

• • Pension –They shall receive minimum assured pension of Rs 3000/- per month after age of 60 years.
    • 1. In case of death during the receipt of pension, his/her spouse shall be entitled to receive 50% of the pension received by the beneficiary as family pension.
      2. In case of death before 60 years of age, his/her spouse will be entitled to join and continue the scheme subsequently by payment of regular contribution or exit the scheme as per provisions of exit and withdrawal. Family pension is applicable only to spouse.
  • Contribution by the Subscriber – He/she is required to contribute the prescribed contribution amount from the age of joining PM-SYM till the age of 60 years.
  • Matching contribution by the Central Government – PMSYM is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme on a 50:50 basis where prescribed age-specific contribution shall be made by the beneficiary and the matching contribution by the Central Government.
  • The contributions from workers per month will change depending on the applicant’s age.

 

OTHER INITIATIVES OF MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT

 

 

 

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