Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, presided over the third regional meeting focused on labour reforms and employment, held today in Rajkot, Gujarat. This meeting is part of a series of six regional consultations being organized by the Ministry of Labour & Employment across the country, aiming to address crucial labour and employment issues with various States and Union Territories (UTs).
Attending the meeting were representatives from five western States and UTs: Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, and Lakshadweep. The discussions covered a range of topics, including Labour Reforms, e-Shram, the Building and Other Construction Workers (BoCW) scheme, the National Career Service (NCS) portal, Employment Generation, and the Employees State Insurance Corporation/Scheme (ESIC/ESIS).
Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the government’s commitment to expanding ESIC services nationwide, ensuring that all districts benefit from these services. He underscored the importance of improving coordination between the Centre, States, and UTs, leveraging Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance service accessibility. He also mentioned plans to strengthen the ESIC’s Dhanwantari portal to align with global standards.
The Minister announced a planned convergence between ESIS and the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which will allow ESIC/ESIS beneficiaries access to quality medical facilities across more than 30,000 AB-PMJAY empanelled hospitals. This integration aims to streamline access to services across government, public, and private hospitals.
Dr. Mandaviya praised the progress of the NCS portal, noting its role in job search, career counseling, and vocational guidance. With over 16 lakh active vacancies and more than 3 crore vacancies mobilized to date, he emphasized the government’s efforts to upgrade the portal with advanced technologies, including AI, and to integrate it with e-Shram for better job-matching capabilities.
He also called for improved mechanisms for accurate employment data collection and analysis. The goal is to develop a centralized dashboard with advanced analytics to aid in policy-making and employment generation strategies.
Dr. Mandaviya urged States and UTs to enhance feedback mechanisms from scheme beneficiaries and to strengthen dialogues between the Centre and States to share experiences and best practices for continuous improvement.
Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary of Labour & Employment, set the stage for the meeting by stressing the need for greater collaboration to accelerate labour reforms. She highlighted the Government’s initiative to streamline 29 labour laws into four Labour Codes and emphasized the importance of quality employment and skill development, noting the Rs. 2 lakh crore Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) schemes announced in the Union Budget 2024-2025.
Ms. Dawra also updated on the e-Shram portal’s progress, with over 30 crore unorganized workers registered since its launch in 2021. She encouraged States/UTs to integrate with the portal and to update worker data on the BoCW MIS portal to improve welfare measures.
The meeting concluded with States and UTs sharing their insights and best practices on labour and employment issues, expressing their appreciation for the government’s proactive approach and support in implementing reforms.
Mr. Kamal Kishore Soan, Additional Secretary of Labour & Employment, thanked the participants and the Rajkot administration for their efforts in organizing the successful meeting. The next regional meeting will take place in Bhubaneswar, focusing on the eastern States and UTs.
