Overview
The National Conference of Labour & Employment, bringing together Industry Ministers and Secretaries of States/UTs, was inaugurated by Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, on November 11, 2025, in New Delhi. This two-day conference emphasizes cooperative federalism to accelerate the implementation of key labour policies, decent employment generation, and social security initiatives.
Key Developments
Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY)
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted the importance of the newly launched Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY), with an outlay of nearly ₹1 lakh crore to create 3.5 crore jobs. He urged states to align their employment programs with this national mission for maximum synergy and impact. The scheme aims to facilitate formalization and enhance social security.
Digital Initiatives for Construction Workers
- Labour Chowk Facilitation Centres (LCFCs): Transforming unsafe roadside gathering points into structured hubs offering shelter, drinking water, sanitation, and access to welfare services.
- Digital Labour Chowk Mobile Application: A multilingual platform connecting workers with employers digitally for transparent and efficient job matching.
- Online BOCW Cess Collection Portal: A unified digital system for automatic cess calculation, online payment, and real-time monitoring.
The Digital Labour Chowk mobile app and the Online BoCW Cess Collection Portal were launched by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya during the conference.
Draft Private Placement Agency (Regulation) Act, 2025
The draft Private Placement Agency (Regulation) Act, 2025 was discussed, aiming to establish uniform national standards to regulate the placement ecosystem. The core mechanism is the registration of all private placement agencies, creating a single national registry. It also establishes a three-tier regulatory authority.
National Labour & Employment Policy
The draft 'Shram Shakti Niti' (National Labour & Employment Policy) was discussed as a comprehensive vision document to build an inclusive, fair, and resilient ecosystem for workers, accelerating India's journey towards a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Statements and Remarks
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of welfare schemes reach every worker across the country.
Smt. Shobha Karandlaje highlighted India's achievement in lifting 171 million citizens out of multidimensional poverty and expanding social security coverage to 94 crore people. She urged states to leverage digital platforms like e-Shram and National Career Services (NCS).
Ms. Vandana Gurnani emphasized that the National Conference on Labour & Employment functions as a vital dialogue for building national partnerships and translating discussion into concrete action.
UPSC Relevance
This conference and its initiatives are relevant to GS2 (Government Policies & Social Justice) and GS3 (Economy). The focus on employment generation, social security, and digital initiatives aligns with the UPSC syllabus.
Key Areas for UPSC Preparation
- PMVBRY: Objectives, outlay, and potential impact on employment.
- Digital Labour Chowk App and Online BoCW Cess Collection Portal: Significance for construction workers and welfare schemes.
- Draft Private Placement Agency (Regulation) Act, 2025: Regulatory framework and potential benefits.
- National Labour & Employment Policy: Vision and objectives for the labor sector.