Content
- Traditions Passed Down for Generations
- Labour Codes Strengthen Modern Safety and Welfare Framework for Pharma Industry
Traditions Passed Down for Generations
Why is it in News?
- At the 44th India International Trade Fair (IITF), 2025, New Delhi, the Government showcased India’s tribal artforms under the theme Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
- Over 705 tribal communities (8.6% of population) represented through arts, handicrafts, and textile traditions.
- Supported by Ministry of Tribal Affairs, TRIFED, State Governments, and allied institutions.
- Focus on tribal livelihoods, market linkages, revival of endangered artforms, and integration with India’s $5 trillion economy vision (2047).
Relevance
GS1 – Indian Culture
- Case study for preservation of intangible cultural heritage.
- Illustrates regional diversity and continuity of oral traditions.
- Showcases ancient artforms like Warli, Paitker, Bharewa.
GS2 – Governance & Social Justice
- State support to vulnerable tribal communities.
- Institutional interventions for cultural security and inclusiveness.
- Policy relevance: TRIFED, Minimum Support Price for MFP, GI tagging, Skill India.
GS3 – Economy
- Creative economy as a tool for rural employment.
- Handloom & handicraft sector’s contribution to MSME growth, exports, women-led enterprises.
- Alignment with $5 trillion economy goal and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Who are India’s Tribal Communities?
- Constitutionally recognised as Scheduled Tribes (STs).
- Diverse socio-cultural identities—distinct languages, crafts, folklore, livelihoods.
- Home to unique artistic traditions: Warli, Gond, Paitkar, Saora, Toda embroidery, Dokra metal craft, Bhil paintings, etc.
India’s Tribal Arts — Key Features
- Natural materials: plant dyes, forest produce, bamboo, lac, metal scraps.
- Oral transmission across generations.
- Community-based production (families, clans, SHGs).
- Sustainability: low carbon, eco-friendly crafts.
- Narrative artforms: storytelling, myths, epics, folk tales.
What Was Showcased at IITF 2025?
Silk-based Tribal Textiles
- India: 2nd largest global producer of silk.
- Only country producing Mulberry, Tasar, Eri, Muga.
- Over 9.76 million workers in 52,000 villages employed.
- Example:
- Sachin Walke, Gond tribe, Nagpur: Tasar silk sarees + Warli/karvat prints.
Tribal Women SHGs (Gujarat)
- 300-member SHG producing:
- Applique work
- Mirror work
- Cotton-silk textiles
- Benefited through national-level exposure (Aadi Mahotsav, IITF).
Endangered Narrative Traditions
- Paitker (Pyatkar) painting, Jharkhand:
- One of India’s oldest narrative scroll traditions.
- Themes: tribal myths, dances, epics.
- Very few practicing families left.
Metal-based Tribal Sculpture (Madhya Pradesh)
- Bharewa artform, Gond sub-tribe:
- Scrap metal → idols, jewellery, ornaments.
- Endangered craftsmanship, sustained through fairs.
Institutional Support Mechanisms
TRIFED (Ministry of Tribal Affairs)
- Capacity Building
- Skill development
- SHG formation
- Training in quality control
- Market Development
- Domestic + international marketing
- Aadi Mahotsav, IITF, online platforms
- Brand Creation
- “Tribes India” retail
- Sustainable branding of tribal products
State Governments
- Jharkhand: Jharkhand Kala Mandir, Laghu Evam Kutir Udyam Vikas Board → revival of disappearing arts.
Challenges Highlighted
- Market asymmetry → poor bargaining power.
- Limited awareness → low demand outside fairs.
- High production time; low returns.
- Endangered traditions due to:
- Modern mass-produced substitutes
- Migration of youth
- Lack of formal institutional support
Government Interventions Needed
- Expansion of MSP for craft-based products.
- Digital marketplaces + direct-to-consumer models.
- Craft clusters with design institutes (NIFT, NID).
- Skill mapping + youth apprenticeship + scholarships.
- GI tagging for rare tribal artforms.
Conclusion
- IITF 2025 acts as a national platform to mainstream tribal arts, ensuring livelihoods, cultural continuity, and economic integration.
- Government + community + marketplace synergy is essential for preserving fragile, heritage-rich traditions.
- Tribal arts embody India’s unity in diversity, and their preservation strengthens cultural identity while supporting inclusive development.
Labour Codes Strengthen Modern Safety and Welfare Framework for Pharma Industry
Why is it in News?
- The Government highlighted how the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code, 2020 and the Social Security Code, 2020 are strengthening modern safety and welfare standards in India’s pharmaceutical sector.
- The update comes as pharma shifts to high-potency, biotechnology-driven, sterile, and hazardous-process operations, requiring a unified safety framework.
- PIB reported implementation focus: risk-based oversight, emergency readiness, worker competency certification, ESI coverage, and a single cohesive safety governance structure replacing fragmented older laws.
Relevance
GS2 – Governance / Labour Reforms
- Labour Codes = major governance overhaul replacing 29 central laws.
- Reduces bureaucratic complexity; promotes cooperative federalism via unified rules.
- Strengthens worker rights while improving industrial efficiency.
GS3 – Economy / Industry
- Pharma = $50+ billion industry, major export component, vaccine hub.
- Modernised safety → lower accidents, higher productivity, reliable supply chains.
- Boosts FDI and compliance with global GMP and safety standards.
What Are the Labour Codes?
- Consolidation of 29 labour laws → 4 Labour Codes:
- Code on Wages, 2019
- Industrial Relations Code, 2020
- OSHWC Code, 2020
- Social Security Code, 2020
- Objectives:
- Simplify compliance
- Universalise labour protections
- Strengthen safety & welfare
- Boost EoDB (Ease of Doing Business)
Pharma as a Hazardous Industry
- Declared hazardous under Factories Act, 1948.
- Legacy regime emphasised: chemical hazards, ventilation, safety audits, emergency plans.
- The sector has now shifted to:
- High-potency APIs
- Cytotoxic oncology drugs
- Recombinant DNA technologies
- Sterile biologics
- Vaccine manufacturing
- Biosafety Level (BSL) facilities
- Nano-material handling
- Old framework inadequate for integrated chemical–biological–process–radioactive hazards.
What the OSHWC Code Changes for Pharma ?
Unified & Modern Governance
- Merges fragmented safety laws into one consolidated Code.
- Provides modern definitions, updated hazard lists, and expanded scope covering:
- Biological agents
- AI-driven equipment
- Robotics
- Nano-materials
- Sterility-control systems
Advanced Risk Management
- Mandatory scientific protocols:
- Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)
- Chemical safety dossiers
- Biosafety containment plans
- Exposure monitoring
- Environmental surveillance
- Digital health records
- Comprehensive medical examinations:
- Pre-employment
- Annual
- Periodic
- Post-incident
Emergency & Compliance Architecture
- Single-window licensing + digitized returns → compliance ease.
- Risk-based inspections → transparency.
- Strengthened emergency readiness:
- On-site emergency plans
- Spill response units (chemical + biological)
- Incident command systems
- Occupational hygiene surveillance
Competency-Based Workforce Regulation
- Certification for handling:
- Clean-rooms
- Isolators
- Fermentation bioreactors
- Cytotoxic compounds
- Pressurized reactors
- Mandatory safety committees
- Empowered safety officers
- Transparent accident reporting
Women’s Safety & Inclusion
- Protections against:
- Mutagenic, teratogenic substance exposure
- Reproductive hazards
- Safe deployment in:
- Sterile zones
- Analytical labs
- Formulation units
- Automated clean-room systems
What the Social Security Code Adds
- Universalised ESI coverage to all eligible pharma workers.
- Recognition of occupational diseases (chemical poisoning, reproductive disorders, sensitization, hepatotoxicity).
- Income security measures:
- Disability compensation
- Dependents’ benefits
- Maternity protections
- Strengthened safety net for temporary & contract workers
Key Benefits for the Pharma Industry
- Higher safety → lower downtime & accidents
- Improved sterility assurance & GMP compliance
- Reduced litigation & regulatory burden
- Enhanced investor confidence
- Stronger scientific governance
- Better protection for contract & women workers
Challenges
- States yet to fully notify rules (federal lag).
- MSME pharma units face adaptation costs.
- Skill gaps: need large-scale competency training.
- Inspectors must shift to facilitator-style oversight.
Conclusion
The Labour Codes—particularly the OSHWC Code and Social Security Code—mark a foundational shift from reactive, compliance-based governance to proactive, science-driven, risk-based industrial regulation in pharma. They align India’s regulatory ecosystem with global standards, safeguard workers in high-risk environments, and support India’s rise as a biotechnology powerhouse and global pharmacy.
