20.14 ndian onom
industrial development. Its main features
lAbour reforMs are—
We see a significant improvement in industrial (i) Unique Labour Identification
harmony in India is evident from the fact that Number (LIN) allotted to around
mandays lost on account of strikes and lockout 0.7 million units facilitating online
have been steadily declining, from 17.6 million in registration;
2009 to 1.79 million (Provisional) to December (ii) Filing of selfcertified, simplified single
2014. The multiplicity of labour laws and difficulty online return instead of 16 separate
in complying with them has always been cited returns by industry;
as an impediment to industrial development in
(iii) Transparent labour inspection
India. This is why labour reforms has been made
scheme via computerised system as
and active part of the ongoing economic reform
per risk-based
process in the country. In a major initiative for
criteria and uploading of inspection
ensuring compliance and promoting ease of doing
business, the government has initiated a number reports within 72 hours by labour
of labour reform measures. Thus, amendments inspectors.
have been proposed to labour laws to align 3. Under Employees’ State Insurance
them with the demands of a changing labour Corporation (ESIC) Project Panchdeep:
market. Individually, states like Rajasthan have Digitisation of internal and external
also introduced major reforms in three labour processes to ensure efficiency in operations,
legislations—the Industrial Disputes Act, especially services to employers and
Factories Act, and Contract Labour Act. In the insured persons. The portal enables
past few years, several new initiatives13 have been employers to file monthly contributions,
taken by the GoI in this directions which may be generate temporary identity cards and
summed-up briefly as given below: create monthly contribution challans
1. The Apprentice Act 1961 was amended online, issue of pehchan card for insured
in December 2014 to make it more persons for fast and convenient delivery
responsive to industry and youth. The of services. Through the IP Portal, insured
‘Apprentice Protsahan Yojana’ was persons can check contributions paid/
also launched to support MSMEs in payable by employers, family details,
the manufacturing sector in engaging entitlement to various benefits, and
apprentices. Government is also working status of claims. Integration of its services
affirmatively to bring a single uniform law will promote ease of business and curb
for the MSME sector to ensure operational transaction costs.
efficiency and improve productivity while 4. Under Employees Provident Fund (EPF):
ensuring job creation on a large scale. Digitisation of complete database of 42.3
2. A unified labour portal scheme called million EPF subscribers and allotment of
Shram Suvidha Portal has been launched universal account number (UAN) to each
for timely redressal of grievances and for member, which facilitates portability of
creating a conducive environment for member accounts. UAN is being seeded
with bank account, Aadhar Card and
13. Ministry of Labour and Employment, GoI, N. Delhi,
March 2017 and Economic Survey 2016-17, MoF, GoI, other KYC details to promote financial
N. Delhi, Vol. 1, pp. 162. inclusion. Direct access to EPF accounts