Labour Welfare and Minimum Wage Policy
Indian Economy
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
Essential for understanding social justice, economic equity, industrial relations, and the role of the state in protecting vulnerable sections of the workforce. Directly relevant to GS2 (Social Justice, Governance) and GS3 (Indian Economy).
Labour welfare encompasses various measures undertaken by employers, government, and trade unions to improve the working and living conditions of workers. Minimum wage policy is a crucial component, setting the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their workers, aimed at ensuring a basic standard of living and preventing exploitation.
Facts & tables
- Minimum Wages Act, 1948
- Provides for the fixation and revision of minimum wages in certain scheduled employments.
- Concurrent List Subject
- Labour is a subject on the Concurrent List, allowing both Central and State governments to legislate on it.
- Components of Labour Welfare
- Includes fair wages, reasonable working hours, safe working conditions, social security, and grievance redressal mechanisms.
- Revision Mechanism
- Minimum wages are periodically revised by state governments, often based on recommendations from tripartite committees.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Labor Laws |
| Conceptual area | Welfare Schemes & Social Policies |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Labour Department (State/Central) | Implements |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
Prelims angle: Factual recall
- Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
- Labour is a Concurrent List subject.
- Role of State Labour Departments in implementation.
- Key components: wages, hours, safety, social security.
- Impact on worker dignity and economic equity.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2021 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2020 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
| 2019 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2018 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2018 | Factual recall, Conceptual understanding |
| 2018 | Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2017 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
Timeline
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Labor Laws
Conceptual area
-
Welfare Schemes & Social Policies
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2017
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2018
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2018
Factual recall, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2018
Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2019
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2020
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2021
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2022
Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions
-
Surviving a city on ₹13,690
Focuses on the government's role in setting minimum wages, ensuring fair working conditions, and providing welfare measures for workers to prevent exploitation and ensure a decent standard of living.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
Past papers
2017–2022 · 8 questions
In the news
Surviving a city on ₹13,690
Focuses on the government's role in setting minimum wages, ensuring fair working conditions, and providing welfare measures for workers to prevent exploitation and ensure a decent standard of living.
Try these PYQs
With reference to the casual workers employed in India, consider the following statements:
1. All casual workers are entitled for Employees Provident Fund coverage.
2. All casual workers are entitled for regular working hours and overtime payment.
3. The government can by a notification specify that an establishment or industry shall pay wages only through its bank account.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Statement 1 is not correct: The Government had launched a scheme viz Casual Labourers (Grant of Temporary Status and Regularization) Scheme of Government of India, 1993. As per the scheme, Temporary status would be conferred on all casual labourers who were in employment and who have rendered a continuous service of at least one year, which means that they must have been engaged for at least 240 days (206 days in case of offices observing 5 days week). Statement 2 is correct: The Supreme Court has decreed that casual workers are also entitled to social security benefits as stipulated in the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act. The Court's ruling stemmed from its interpretation of Section 2(f) of the EPF Act, wherein the definition of an "employee" encompasses a broad scope, including any individual engaged directly or indirectly in connection with an establishment's work and receiving wages. A bench of the Supreme Court affirmed this viewpoint. Statement 3 is correct: The government has the authority to specify through a notification that an establishment or industry is obligated to disburse wages exclusively via its bank account.
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017?
1. Pregnant women are entitled for three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery paid leave.
2. Enterprises with crèches must allow the mother minimum six crèche visits daily.
3. Women with two children get reduced entitlements.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act 2017 has made several significant changes to benefit women employees - Paid maternity leave has been increased to 26 weeks from 12 weeks. - For women expecting after having 2 children, the leave duration remains at 12 weeks. - Establishments employing 50 or more employees must provide a crche facility, and women employees should be allowed to visit the facility 4 times during the day.
As per the NSSO 70th Round “Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households”, consider the following statements
1. Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.
2. Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 per cent belong to OBCs.
3. In Kerala, a little over 60 per cent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.
Statement 1 is correct: In the NSSO 70th Round survey, Rajasthan had the highest percentage of rural agricultural households at 78.4%, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 74.8% and Madhya Pradesh at 70.8%. Statement 2 is incorrect: Among agricultural households, 45% were from Other Backward Classes (OBC), 16% from Scheduled Castes (SC), and 13% from Scheduled Tribes (ST). Statement 3 is correct: In most major states, agricultural activities were the primary income source, except in Kerala, where 61% earned more from non-agricultural sources.
International Labour Organization's Conventions 138 and 182 are related to -
The International Labour Organization's Conventions 138 and 182 are both related to child labour. Convention No. 138 is the Minimum Age Convention. It requires member countries to set a minimum age for employment and work towards the elimination of child labour. Convention No. 182 deals with the Worst Forms of Child Labour. It calls for the prohibition and elimination of the most severe forms of child labour, such as slavery, forced labour, and trafficking. These conventions are considered fundamental by the ILO, meaning all member states must respect, promote, and work towards their aims regardless of ratification.
In India, which one of the following compiles information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers?
In India, the primary agency responsible for compiling information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments, and lay-offs in factories employing workers is the Labour Bureau The Labour Bureau is an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. It plays a crucial role in collecting, compiling, and disseminating labor statistics across various aspects, including industrial relations.
Show 3 more PYQs
Consider the following in respect of ‘National Career Service’:
1. National Career Service is an initiative of the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.
2. National Career Service has been launched in a Mission Mode to improve the employment opportunities to uneducated youth of the country.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. The National Career Service is not an initiative of the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India. It is actually implemented by the Directorate General of Employment, Ministry of Labour & Employment. Statement 2 is incorrect. The National Career Service has indeed been launched in a Mission Mode, but it is not specifically targeted at improving the employment opportunities for uneducated youth of the country. It is a comprehensive platform providing a wide array of employment and career related services to all citizens of India, aiming to bridge the gap between jobseekers and employers, candidates seeking training and career guidance, and agencies providing training and career counselling.
Who among the following were the founders of the "Hind Mazdoor Sabha" established in 1948?
The Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) wasn't founded by a single person, but by a group of socialists, Forward Bloc followers, and independent unionists in 1948. Here's a list of some key figures involved
- Basawon Singh (Sinha)
- Ashok Mehta
- R.S. Ruikar
- Maniben Kara
- Shibnath Banerjee
- R.A. Khedgikar
- T.S. Ramanujam
- V.S. Mathur
- G.G. Mehta It's important to note that R.S. Ruikar was elected as the first President and Ashok Mehta became the General Secretary of the HMS.
With reference of the Indian economy after the 1991 economic liberalization, consider the following statements:
1. Worker productivity (per worker at 2004-05 prices) increased in urban areas while it decreased in rural areas.
2. The percentage share of rural areas in the workforce steadily increased.
3. In rural areas, the growth in non-farm economy increased.
4. The growth rate in rural employment decreased.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. After the 1991 economic liberalization, worker productivity increased both in urban and rural areas. While urban areas experienced higher growth, rural areas also saw improvements, especially with the rise in non-farm activities. Statement 2 is incorrect. The percentage share of rural areas in the workforce has steadily decreased since liberalization. This is because more people have moved to urban areas for employment in the industrial and service sectors, contributing to the growing urban workforce. Statement 3 is correct. In rural areas, the growth of the non-farm economy increased significantly. With liberalization, the diversification of rural economies into sectors like manufacturing, construction, and services grew, reducing the dependency on agriculture. Statement 4 is correct. The growth rate in rural employment decreased after 1991. While the rural economy diversified, the agricultural sector did not provide enough employment opportunities to absorb all the labor, leading to lower growth in rural employment. Hence, option B is the correct answer.