Akhil Surya

The blast in a Telangana bulk drug factory raises a simple, urgent question: does the new law close the very gaps that killed 54 workers or does it widen them? Image for representational use only.

THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT’S  recently released draft labour policy,Shram Shakti Niti 2025 is a puzzling document. In one section, it claims that the policy derives its legitimacy and moral authority from the Constitution of India, and the rights and protections guaranteed by it. However, in the next section, it highlights the “Indic worldview” of labour — śrama — being “a sacred and moral duty” that sustains “social harmony, economic well-being, and collective prosperity”.

THE PLIGHT OF PLATFORM WORKERS, including specifically on the anvil of the international legal instruments and the fundamental right to health and social security, does not require further restatement.