Labour Ministry

India's social protection coverage increased to over 100 crore citizens in 2026, up from 25 crore in 2015, according to Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The minister, in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday, highlighted the landmark validation of the country's social security landscape by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). "India breaches 1 billion mark in Social Protection Coverage!" Mandaviya wrote on X, thanking ILO Director-General Gilbert F Houngbo "for acknowledging India's efforts towards expanding social protection coverage". In the same post, the minister laid out the scale of the shift: "Under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi ji, India's social protection coverage has grown from 25 crore citizens (19 per cent) in 2015 to over 100 crore citizens (68.4 per cent) in 2026, reflecting the Modi government's commitment to Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas. The numbers mark one of the steepest expansions of social security coverage recorded

Brics labour ministers adopted a joint declaration in Hyderabad and launched the India-backed CONNECT platform to strengthen cooperation on labour, skills and social security

UNDP India chief Angela Lusigi says reducing women's unpaid care burden through affordable childcare is key to boosting workforce participation and improving access to skilling

The Centre will also constitute a Central Advisory Board (CAB), which will hold consultations before recommending the national floor wage

The Labour Ministry and ILO are developing a global skills-based occupation framework to help GCCs map talent, identify skill gaps and strengthen workforce planning

Corporation approves direct management of upcoming ESI hospitals, extends the Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana till June 2027, and clears new medical education and healthcare initiatives

The statutory social security body will review its audit framework and recommend reforms after the CAG flagged deficiencies in financial controls, audit timelines and record-keeping

States asked to integrate portals as government moves towards a common labour administration framework

Labour Ministry is considering a universal pension scheme under EPFO that would let workers contribute flexibly at any time, aiming to widen retirement coverage across formal and informal sectors

IFAT says non-compliance by aggregator firms is delaying welfare schemes and social security benefits for lakhs of gig and platform workers across the country

The labour ministry has started consultations with industry bodies on migrant worker welfare, focusing on housing, portability of benefits and registration reforms

Rising production, ageing workforces, and rapid automation are pushing India's industrial companies towards leaner, productivity-driven workforce structures

EPFO plans to launch a WhatsApp-based chatbot to handle member queries, PF services, and grievance-related communication in regional languages

New framework will replace discretionary inspections with technology-driven compliance checks based on data analysis and risk profiling

Mandaviya said the government has readied the facility for withdrawal of 75 per cent of provident fund (PF) balance through ATMs and will soon roll it out

The Centre's final rules under the four Labour Codes allow flexible distribution of 48 weekly work hours, opening scope for four-day workweeks in some industries

EAC-PM has recommended phased parental leave reforms, including statutory paternity leave for private sector employees and gender-neutral childcare policies

The drop in work demand in April, the first month of the financial year, is rather unusual as April usually sees good demand as panchayats are flush with funds

Labour Ministry calls for urgent heatwave protection measures for workers

Registrations of placement organisations saw the steepest fall, plunging 90.6 per cent from 181 in FY25 to just 17 in FY26