Source: TH
Context:
The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment released the draft National Labour and Employment Policy (NLEP) titled Shram Shakti Niti, 2025 for public consultation on October 8, 2025. The policy envisions a fair, inclusive, and future-ready world of work, aligned with India’s aspiration to become a developed nation by 2047.
Key Objective
To establish a universal and portable social security system by integrating major national and state-level welfare and employment databases.
Universal Social Security Framework
The policy proposes creating a universal account integrating:
- Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
- Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)
- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)
- e-SHRAM portal
- State Welfare Boards
This aims to ensure portability of social security benefits across sectors and geographies, covering formal and informal workers.
Core Vision and Principles
- Rooted in India’s ethos of śrama dharma — dignity and moral value of work.
- Based on the 3Ps Framework: Protection, Productivity, and Participation.
- Strives to balance workers’ welfare with enterprise growth and sustainable livelihoods.
Major Policy Proposals
- Implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Code with:
- Risk-based inspections
- Gender-sensitive standards
- AI-enabled safety systems
- Convergence of skill development schemes across ministries.
- Single-window digital compliance system with:
- Self-certification and simplified returns for MSMEs.
- Promotion of green and decent jobs and just transition pathways for affected workers.
- Unified National Labour Data Architecture to enable inter-ministerial coordination and real-time monitoring.
