Delhi Government Unveils Draft Rules for Enhanced Occupational Safety and Worker Welfare
Delhi government proposes new draft rules for occupational safety, including a board, women's safety norms, and capped working hours.
Photo by Thomas Kinto
त्वरित संशोधन
Draft rules released on December 4
45 days allowed for suggestions
10-member Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board to be formed
48 hours per week cap on working hours
महत्वपूर्ण तिथियां
महत्वपूर्ण संख्याएं
दृश्य सामग्री
Delhi's Step Towards Enhanced Worker Safety
This map highlights Delhi's proactive move in drafting rules for the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code, 2020, making it one of the first states to operationalize the central legislation.
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परीक्षा के दृष्टिकोण
Constitutional provisions related to labor (DPSP, Fundamental Rights, Concurrent List)
Comparison of state-level rules with central labor codes (OSHWCC, 2020)
Challenges and implications of labor reforms (formal vs. informal sector, enforcement, compliance burden)
Social justice and gender equality in the workplace
Role of advisory bodies in governance and policy implementation
विस्तृत सारांश देखें
सारांश
The Delhi government's Labour Department has released draft rules for Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2025. These rules aim to create safer working environments, especially in hazardous sectors.
Key provisions include establishing a 10-member Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board, mandating specific safety norms for women employees like pick-up/drop services and CCTV installation, providing free annual medical exams for workers in hazardous industries, and capping working hours at 48 per week. This move reflects a broader focus on worker welfare and safety standards, aligning with national efforts to improve labor conditions.
पृष्ठभूमि
India's labor laws have historically been fragmented, with numerous central and state legislations governing various aspects of employment. This led to complexities in compliance and enforcement. In recent years, the Union government initiated major labor reforms, consolidating 29 central labor laws into four broad codes: the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020; and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSHWCC, 2020).
These codes aim to simplify the regulatory framework, enhance worker protection, and promote ease of doing business. States, being on the Concurrent List for labor matters, are expected to frame their own rules in alignment with these central codes.
नवीनतम घटनाक्रम
The Delhi government's Labour Department has released draft rules for Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2025. These rules are a state-level initiative to operationalize the provisions of the national OSHWCC, 2020, within the NCT of Delhi.
Key proposals include establishing an Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board, mandating specific safety norms for women employees (e.g., pick-up/drop, CCTV), providing free annual medical examinations for workers in hazardous industries, and capping working hours at 48 per week. This move underscores the ongoing efforts at both central and state levels to improve labor conditions and ensure worker welfare, particularly in hazardous sectors.
बहुविकल्पीय प्रश्न (MCQ)
1. With reference to the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSHWCC, 2020) and recent state-level initiatives, consider the following statements: 1. The OSHWCC, 2020, consolidates and amends laws regulating occupational safety, health, and working conditions of persons employed in establishments. 2. Labour is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, allowing both the Parliament and state legislatures to make laws on it. 3. The Delhi government's draft rules for Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2025, propose a cap on working hours at 48 per week, which is a departure from the national OSHWCC, 2020. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
उत्तर देखें
सही उत्तर: A
Statement 1 is correct. The OSHWCC, 2020, is one of the four labor codes that consolidated 13 existing central labor laws related to safety, health, and working conditions. Statement 2 is correct. Labour is indeed a Concurrent List subject (Entry 22 of List III), enabling both central and state governments to legislate on it. Statement 3 is incorrect. The OSHWCC, 2020, itself provides for a maximum of 48 working hours in a week, with daily working hours not exceeding 8 hours, subject to certain conditions. Therefore, the Delhi government's proposal aligns with, rather than departs from, the national code.
2. In the context of worker welfare and occupational safety in India, which of the following provisions are generally considered to be aligned with the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)? 1. Provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief. 2. Participation of workers in the management of industries. 3. Protection of children and youth against exploitation and moral and material abandonment. 4. Right to adequate means of livelihood for all citizens. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.1, 2 and 3 only
- C.3 and 4 only
- D.1, 2, 3 and 4
उत्तर देखें
सही उत्तर: D
All the statements are aligned with the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP). 1. Article 42 mandates the State to make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief. 2. Article 43A states that the State shall take steps, by suitable legislation or in any other way, to secure the participation of workers in the management of undertakings, establishments or other organisations engaged in any industry. 3. Article 39(f) directs the State to ensure that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment. 4. Article 39(a) directs the State to secure that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood. These principles collectively form the bedrock for legislative measures like occupational safety and health rules.
3. Consider the following statements regarding the provisions for women employees under the Delhi government's draft Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2025: 1. It mandates the provision of pick-up and drop services for women employees working between 7 PM and 6 AM. 2. It requires the installation of CCTV cameras at workplaces where women are employed. 3. It makes it mandatory for employers to provide free annual medical examinations for all women employees, irrespective of the industry. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
उत्तर देखें
सही उत्तर: B
Statement 1 is correct. The draft rules mandate pick-up and drop services for women employees working between 7 PM and 6 AM. Statement 2 is correct. The rules also require the installation of CCTV cameras at workplaces where women are employed to enhance their safety. Statement 3 is incorrect. The news summary states that free annual medical exams are for 'workers in hazardous industries', not for 'all women employees, irrespective of the industry'. This is a crucial distinction and a common type of factual distractor in UPSC questions.