Content
- Industrial Relations Code, 2020: Promoting Harmony and Ease of Doing Business
- International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women
Industrial Relations Code, 2020: Promoting Harmony and Ease of Doing Business
Why is it in News?
- The Ministry of Labour released a detailed 2025 update highlighting compliance reduction, digital systems, gender-equity provisions, and implementation readiness.
- IRC, 2020 has gained policy relevance as states prepare rules for nationwide rollout of labour codes.
- It is cited by government as a major Ease of Doing Business reform and part of labour governance modernization.
Basics
Objective of the Code
- Consolidates Industrial Disputes Act (1947), Trade Unions Act (1926) and Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act (1946).
- Creates a uniform framework for trade unions, industrial disputes, layoffs, retrenchment, service conditions and dispute resolution.
- Balances worker protection with business flexibility.
Core Rationale
- National Commission on Labour recommended simplification of 100+ labour laws, which were outdated, overlapping and litigation-prone.
- IRC reduces:
- Rules: 105 → 51
- Forms: 37 → 18
- Registers: 3 → 0
Uniform Definitions – Major Structural Reform
1. Expanded Definition of “Worker”
- Includes sales promotion employees, working journalists, supervisory employees earning ≤ ₹18,000/month.
- Broader protections under dispute resolution, service conditions, collective bargaining.
Implications
- Extends coverage to semi-white-collar segments.
- Reduces grey zones exploited for misclassification.
2. Expanded Definition of “Industry”
- Covers all systematic activity with employer-worker cooperation, even without capital or profit motive.
- Brings NGOs, non-profits, certain service organisations within scope.
Impact
- Wider access to tribunals, conciliation, and collective bargaining.
- Resolves earlier ambiguity created post–Bangalore Water Supply Case.
3. Unified Definition of “Wages”
- 50% cap on exclusions—ensures allowances cannot be inflated to reduce social security contributions.
Worker Gains
- Higher gratuity, retrenchment compensation, PF/ESI contributions.
- Prevents wage-splitting fraud.
- Clear basis for courts to adjudicate.
Trade Union Reforms – Institutionalising Collective Bargaining
Statutory Recognition
- 51% membership = Negotiating Union.
- If not, a Negotiating Council with unions having ≥20% membership.
Advantages
- Reduces inter-union rivalry.
- Creates a single legitimate negotiating body.
- Boosts industrial democracy.
Fixed-Term Employment (FTE)
Features
- Direct contract with employer for fixed period.
- All benefits equal to permanent workers.
- Eligibility for gratuity after 1 year.
Analysis
- Reduces contractor dependence.
- Aligns with global hiring flexibility norms.
- Supports seasonal, project-based industries.
New Definition of “Strike”
- Includes mass casual leave (>50% workers in a day).
- Mandatory 14-day notice for all industries.
- Restriction during conciliation/tribunal proceedings.
Impact
- Prevents sudden production disruptions.
- Encourages negotiations.
- Balances right to strike with business continuity.
Dispute Resolution Mechanism – Speed & Certainty
1. Decriminalization & Compounding
- Many minor offences converted to monetary penalties.
- Fine-only offences can be compounded at 50% of maximum fine.
- Imprisonment ≤1 year + fine can be compounded at 75%.
Impact
- Reduces litigation burden.
- Predictable compliance encourages investment.
- Reduces adversarial environment.
2. Time-Bound Adjudication
- 2-member tribunal: judicial + administrative member.
- Direct approach to tribunal if conciliation fails within 90 days.
Benefits
- Eliminates bureaucratic delay in “government reference”.
- Faster resolution → fewer man-days lost.
Strikes / Lockouts Regulation
- Prior notice compulsory across all establishments.
- No strikes during conciliation/tribunal processes.
Outcome
- Industrial peace, smoother production cycles.
- Encourages mature conflict resolution.
Retrenchment & Closure
1. Worker Re-Skilling Fund
- Employer contributes 15 days’ wages to retrenched worker within 45 days.
Significance
- First statutory skilling-linked severance mechanism.
- Softens economic shocks.
2. Threshold Raised to 300 Workers
- Permission required for layoff/retrenchment/closure only if workforce ≥300.
- States allowed to increase further.
Impact
- MSMEs get flexibility to restructure.
- Encourages formal hiring without fear of rigid exit laws.
- Aligns with Rajasthan’s model, which showed higher job formalisation after raising threshold.
Gender Equity Provisions
Women in Grievance Redressal Committees
- Representation must match workforce proportion.
Benefits
- Safer, inclusive dispute resolution.
- Better handling of harassment/maternity issues.
- Higher trust in internal mechanisms.
Work from Home Provision
- Explicitly allowed in Model Standing Orders for services sector.
- Important for women, IT/ITES, distributed workplaces.
Digital Compliance
- Electronic registers, returns, filings.
- Reduces corruption and paperwork.
- Strengthens audit trail and transparency.
Overall Impact Assessment
Pro-Labour
- Expanded worker protections
- Clearer wage definitions
- Stronger unions
- FTE parity with permanent workers
- Re-skilling fund
- Gender-sensitive mechanisms
Pro-Employment
- Flexible hiring
- Lower compliance burden
- Predictable industrial relations
- Reduced litigation
Pro-Growth
- Ease of doing business
- Digital systems
- Faster dispute disposal
- Stable industrial environment
- Attracts domestic and global investment
Challenges & Criticisms
- Trade unions argue 14-day strike notice restricts spontaneous collective action.
- Increasing threshold from 100 → 300 seen as diluting job security.
- Implementation depends on states; uneven rollout likely.
- FTE may lead to gradual decline in permanent jobs if misused.
- Digital systems require capacity-building in small enterprises.
Conclusion
The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 modernises India’s industrial relations ecosystem by merging fragmented laws into a coherent, streamlined framework. It strengthens worker rights, expands social security, institutionalises union recognition, and ensures fair compensation. Simultaneously, it introduces hiring flexibility, digital compliance, faster dispute resolution, and predictable processes for businesses.
Overall, it is a pro-labour, pro-employment, and pro-growth reform aimed at harmonising industrial relations—essential for investment, productivity, and inclusive economic growth.
International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women
Why is it in News?
- Observed globally on 25 November, marking the start of the UN 16 Days of Activism (Nov 25–Dec 10).
- 2025 theme highlights digital violence: online harassment, deepfakes, cyberstalking, doxxing, algorithmic bias, coordinated misogynistic attacks.
- India showcased its year-long initiatives under Mission Shakti, strengthened digital safety tools, FTSC performance, NCW helplines, SHe-Box reforms, and online-offence tracking systems.
- Launch of updated NCW digital helplines, new data on FTSC disposal rates, expanded Women Help Desks, and enhanced implementation of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Meaning and Global Context
- UNGA Resolution 54/134 (2000) designated Nov 25 as the day.
- Aimed at eliminating physical, sexual, emotional, economic and digital violence.
- Linked with CEDAW, Beijing Platform for Action, SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
- Violence against women seen as structural, tied to gender discrimination, patriarchy, unequal access to digital spaces, and weak justice mechanisms.
India’s Ecosystem to Combat Violence Against Women
National Commission for Women (NCW)
- Statutory body: 31 Jan 1992.
- Monitors safeguards, recommends reforms, investigates complaints.
- Helpline: 7827170170 (24×7 digital support via IVR).
- Receives both offline and online complaints.
Relevance to digital violence
- Handles cyberstalking, deepfake threats, online blackmail, impersonation.
- Runs Digital Shakti (digital literacy + cyber safety training).
Legal Framework in India
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (replacing IPC from 1 July 2024)
- Stricter punishments for sexual offences (e.g., life imprisonment for rape of minors).
- Mandates audio–video recording of victim statements.
- Prioritises offences against women/children in court processes.
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
- Covers physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, and economic abuse.
- Wide definition of domestic relationship.
- Ensures protection orders, residence orders, monetary relief, custody, counselling.
Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 (POSH Act)
- Mandatory Internal Committees (ICs) for workplaces with >10 employees.
- Local Committees for smaller workplaces.
- Inquiry must conclude within 90 days.
- SHe-Box enables unified digital filing and tracking.
Mission Shakti: India’s Umbrella Programme
Two components:
- Sambal – safety and security
- Samarthya – empowerment
Key Schemes :
One Stop Centres (OSCs)
- Provide police linkage, legal aid, medical aid, counselling, temporary shelter.
Women Helpline (181) + ERSS (112)
- 24×7 support for all forms of violence.
- Integrated with district authorities for quick referral.
Swadhar Greh
- Shelter + rehabilitation for women in difficult circumstances.
Stree Manoraksha (NIMHANS)
- Training OSC staff on psycho-social and mental health counselling.
Digital Shakti 4.0
- Pan-India programme for cyber awareness + reporting + digital hygiene.
Technology-Enabled Safety and Justice
Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO)
- Online monitoring of police investigations in sexual crime cases.
National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO)
- Centralised registry of convicted sexual offenders.
Crime Multi-Agency Centre (Cri-MAC)
- Real-time sharing of info on heinous crimes across states.
SHe-Box Portal (Upgraded)
- Central repository of ICs/LCs.
- Auto-routing of workplace sexual harassment complaints.
- Real-time tracking.
Women Help Desks (14,658 police stations; Feb 2025)
- Frontline gender-sensitive reporting platform.
Fast Track Special Courts (773 FTSCs; Aug 2025)
- Over 3.34 lakh cases disposed since inception.
- Speeds up POCSO + rape trials.
Challenges: Offline and Digital Violence Landscape
Offline Violence
- Domestic violence underreported.
- Patriarchal norms, economic dependency.
- Delays in court processes outside FTSCs.
Digital Violence
- Deepfakes and AI-enabled image/video morphing rising.
- Cross-border servers make enforcement difficult.
- Low digital literacy among women → poor detection/reporting.
- Online platforms slow in content takedown.
Government Countermeasures for Digital Violence
- Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) for incident tracking.
- Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) for anonymous complaints.
- IT Rules 2021:
- 24-hour takedown for sexual content/deepfakes.
- Grievance appellate mechanism.
- Deepfake detection tools under MeitY pilot projects.
- Digital Shakti + NCW digital literacy sessions.
Institutional Architecture for Women’s Safety
National → State → District
- NCW → SCWs → District-level OSCs + Women Help Desks.
- Judiciary: FTSCs + POSH LCs + POCSO courts.
- Police: Cyber Cells, Anti-Human Trafficking Units, Women Help Desks.
Overview
Strengths
- Comprehensive legal framework (physical + digital violence).
- Technology integration (FTSC dashboards, digital FIR systems, ITSSO).
- Mission Shakti creates a unified safety network.
- Rapid expansion of Women Help Desks and OSCs.
- Digital Shakti builds long-term cyber resilience.
Gaps / Issues
- Underreporting due to fear, stigma, weak ICs in private sector.
- Limited cyber-forensics capacity in many districts.
- Deepfake-related offences still poorly mapped in law enforcement SOPs.
- Inconsistent implementation across states (POSH, OSCs, FTSCs).
- Need for gendered AI governance: algorithms often reinforce biases.
Way Forward
- Strengthening IC/LC compliance audits under POSH.
- Dedicated Deepfake Response Units with AI labs in police cyber cells.
- Digital literacy as part of school curriculum.
- Training judiciary and police on cyber-laws + digital violence.
- Data-sharing frameworks with social media platforms.
- Community-driven awareness + male engagement programmes.
Conclusion
India is expanding from a violence-response model to a violence-prevention + digital-protection ecosystem. With Mission Shakti, advanced helplines, FTSCs, digital tools like SHe-Box and ITSSO, and a stronger legal regime under BNS 2023, the country is building an integrated offline–online safety architecture. As digital violence intensifies globally, India’s approach—combining law, technology, institutional support, and gender empowerment—is critical for ensuring that every woman and girl can live with dignity, safety, and equal opportunity.
