Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, led the 3rd regional meeting focusing on labour reforms and employment with representatives from five western States and Union Territories—Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and Lakshadweep. Held in Rajkot, Gujarat, this gathering is part of a six-part nationwide series of meetings organized by the Ministry of Labour & Employment to address key labour and employment concerns.
The meeting featured comprehensive discussions on critical issues such as Labour Reforms, the e-Shram portal, Building and Other Construction Workers (BoCW), the National Career Service (NCS) portal, and the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) schemes. Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the government’s commitment to providing extensive social protection for workers across both organized and unorganized sectors. He emphasized the ongoing efforts to extend ESIC services to every district in the country and the importance of integrating Information Technology (IT), including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to ensure beneficiaries can access high-quality services.
The Minister also mentioned that the ESIC Dhanwantari portal would be enhanced for better data management in line with global standards. A significant announcement was the planned convergence between the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) and the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). This will allow ESIC/ESIS beneficiaries to access quality healthcare at over 30,000 hospitals empaneled under AB-PMJAY, ensuring equal access to treatment at government, public, and private hospitals.
Dr. Mandaviya also spoke about advancements in the National Career Service (NCS) portal, which now hosts over 16 lakh active job vacancies and has facilitated over 3 crore job postings to date. He announced plans to upgrade the NCS portal using AI and integrate it with the e-Shram platform to provide better job-matching services for both organized and unorganized workers.
The Union Minister urged for stronger collaboration between the Centre and States/UTs to gather more accurate employment data. He proposed the creation of a centralized dashboard to compile and analyze employment-related information, enabling policymakers to make more informed decisions.
Emphasizing the critical role of States and UTs in the implementation of welfare, social protection, and employment schemes, Dr. Mandaviya encouraged stronger feedback mechanisms and regular dialogues between the Centre and States. He called for sharing experiences, challenges, and best practices to improve scheme implementation and outcomes.
During the meeting, Secretary of Labour & Employment, Ms. Sumita Dawra, emphasized the need for closer cooperation between States/UTs and the Centre to expedite labour reforms. She highlighted the government’s initiative to consolidate 29 Labour Laws into four Labour Codes, a significant step toward modernizing India’s labour framework. Ms. Dawra also discussed the importance of skilling and employment generation, citing the five Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) schemes introduced in the Union Budget 2024-25 with a budget outlay of ₹2 lakh crore.
The Secretary also addressed the progress of the e-Shram portal, which has registered over 30 crore unorganized workers since its launch in 2021. She encouraged States/UTs to integrate with the platform, which aims to provide easy access to welfare schemes. The BoCW MIS portal was also highlighted as a critical tool for data-driven planning and improving the welfare of construction workers.
The meeting concluded with representatives from various States/UTs sharing insights, ideas, and best practices, and they expressed appreciation for the government’s regional consultations. The next meeting in the series is scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar for the eastern States/UTs next week.
