New Labour Codes Expected to Be Fully Implemented by April 1

सही उत्तर: D

Statement 1 is correct as per the news summary and the overall objective of the codes. The four codes are indeed on wages, industrial relations, social security, and occupational safety, health & working conditions, consolidating 29 central laws. Statement 2 is correct; the Code on Wages, 2019, rationalizes and subsumes four existing labour laws related to wages: the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; the Payment of Wages Act, 1936; the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. Statement 3 is correct; 'Labour' is explicitly mentioned in the Concurrent List (List III) of the Seventh Schedule, enabling both the Parliament and State Legislatures to enact laws on the subject.

सही उत्तर: A

Statement 1 is correct. The Second National Commission on Labour (2002), chaired by Ravindra Varma, recommended the consolidation of central labour laws into five broad groups, which laid the groundwork for the current four labour codes. Statement 2 is correct. Article 43 of the DPSP states that 'The State shall endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation or economic organisation or in any other way, to all workers, agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage, conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full enjoyment of leisure and social and cultural opportunities'. Statement 3 is incorrect. India has ratified six out of the eight core ILO conventions. The two conventions not yet ratified are Convention No. 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948) and Convention No. 98 (Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949).

सही उत्तर: C

Options A, B, and D are common criticisms. Trade unions express concern that the codes restrict the right to strike, make union formation harder, and increase employer discretion in hiring and firing (e.g., higher threshold for government permission for retrenchment from 100 to 300 workers). Option C, 'Expansion of social security benefits to cover all informal sector workers without adequate funding mechanisms,' is generally an *objective* or *demand* of worker organizations, not a criticism of the codes' current provisions. While unions argue that the codes *do not adequately* expand social security or that the funding is insufficient, the statement itself describes an 'expansion' which is a positive aim. The criticism is usually that the codes *fail* to deliver universal social security or even *dilute* existing benefits for some, not that they expand it without funding. Thus, it is not a 'criticism' of the codes' *intent* but rather a challenge in their implementation or a perceived inadequacy.

सही उत्तर: D

Statement 1 is correct. The Industrial Relations Code, 2020, formalizes fixed-term employment, ensuring that fixed-term employees receive the same wages, benefits, and working conditions as permanent employees doing similar work. This aims to provide flexibility to employers while protecting workers' rights. Statement 2 is correct. The Code on Social Security, 2020, for the first time, brings gig workers and platform workers under the ambit of social security, allowing the central government to frame schemes for them. Statement 3 is correct. The OSH Code, 2020, explicitly allows women to be employed in all establishments for all types of work, including night shifts, provided their consent is obtained and adequate safety, health, and working conditions are ensured. This is a progressive step towards gender equality in the workforce.