Labour Ministry

More output, fewer workers: Why are labour-heavy industries becoming leaner

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

EPFO to roll out WhatsApp chatbot for member queries amid rising grievances

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

EPFO plans risk-based inspection to replace discretionary checks

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

Mandaviya calls for joint effort to tackle worker issues during crises

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

New Labour Rules may pave way for four-day workweek in select sectors

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 asks labour ministry to roll out paternity leave in phases

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

MGNREGA demand dips in April as fate of VB-G RAM G remains unclear

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

Centre sets eyes on heatwave management as higher temperatures grip India

Labour Ministry calls for urgent heatwave protection measures for workers

NCS portal registrations decline in FY26 amid Centre's digital push

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

Gig workers' body seeks binding heatwave safeguards from Labour Ministry

IFAT urges binding protections including paid cooling breaks, water access, and emergency support for gig workers as extreme heat intensifies across India

Govt rejects industry demand for gratuity relief under labour codes

Labour ministry has declined industry demand for grandfathering in gratuity rules, citing lack of provision in the original labour codes passed by Parliament

Nites approaches labour ministry, seeks Posh compliance audit in TCS

IT sector employees' body NITES on Monday approached the Ministry of Labour and Employment seeking a detailed audit of POSH compliance in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and batted for a wider state-level audit across tech and ITES companies, especially large multinational organisations in Maharashtra. The letter to labour ministry comes in the backdrop of charges of sexual harassment and allegations on forced religious conversion by eight female employees at TCS' office in Nashik -- an incident that has drawn sharp scrutiny and raised serious concerns. NITES urged the ministry to take "immediate and decisive action" by directing a comprehensive and time-bound audit and inspection. India's largest IT services company had, on Sunday, said the firm has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, confirming the suspension of employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at its Nashik office. Nascent Information Technology Employees

Labour ministry taps influencers to promote pension scheme for workers

Labour ministry invites digital influencers to promote PM-SYM pension scheme, aiming to boost awareness and expand social security coverage among informal workers

Centre drafting insurance scheme for gig workers with life, accident cover

The labour ministry is drafting a social security scheme offering insurance and possible pension cover for gig workers under the Code on Social Security

Active job vacancies on govt job portal falls to 16-month low in Feb

The count of active jobs in February was the lowest since October 2024, when it was 14.12 lakh, according to the NCS performance dashboard

Labour Ministry to auto-refund small balances in inoperative EPFO accounts

Pilot to cover 7.11 lakh inoperative EPFO accounts with ₹1,000 or less; funds to be auto-credited to Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts without fresh claims

Govt publishes handbook on employer compliance under Labour Codes

Labour Ministry releases a handbook outlining 23 compliance actions for employers under the four Labour Codes, offering clarity ahead of final rules expected by the end of the fiscal year

Big outlays, small uptake: India's job schemes face a reality check

Despite large Budget allocations for PMIS and ELI, uptake remains low due to design issues, wage concerns and limited reach beyond big firms, prompting calls for a rethink

Govt to soon decide increased EPFO, ESIC wage ceilings: Mandaviya

The labour ministry will shortly decide on raising EPFO and ESIC wage ceilings, fixing a national floor wage and increasing the minimum pension under EPS, as it targets wider social security coverage

Budget 2026-27: 61% of labour ministry's record FY26 outlay unspent

Even as the labour ministry received its highest-ever allocation in Budget 2026-27, revised estimates show a majority of funds remained unutilised, largely due to low spending on central schemes