The National Conference of Labour & Employment and Industry Ministers and Secretaries of States/ UTs was inaugurated by Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, today at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The two-day conference, a significant step in the spirit of cooperative federalism, aims to accelerate the implementation of key labour policies and initiatives, decent employment generation, and social security initiatives.

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya emphasized that guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas, the government has placed the citizen at the heart of every policy. The Union Minister 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, urging states to align their employment programmes with this national mission for maximum synergy and impact.

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, in his opening remarks, set the tone for the conference by focusing on implementation and action. He stated that the conference is a follow-up to the January 2025 meet, with the current goal being to turn decisions into visible outcomes on the ground. He detailed the structure of the PMVBRY to facilitate formalisation and enhance social security, and called for active state collaboration to ensure its success. The Minister stressed upon the importance of sustained collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of welfare schemes reach every worker across the country.

Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Smt. Shobha Karandlaje, in her address, outlined the transformative journey of India's development, driven by a governance model rooted in equity and transparency. She highlighted the nation's remarkable achievement in lifting 171 million citizens out of multidimensional poverty and expanding social security coverage to 94 crore people. Further, she urged all states to actively lead outreach, align their programmes, and leverage digital platforms like e-Shram and National Career Services (NCS) to ensure that no worker is left behind in the nation's march towards a Viksit Bharat.

In her opening remarks, Secretary (Labour & Employment), 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. Highlighting the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY), Secretary (L&E) urged states to share innovative ideas on operationalizing the scheme and the discussions on the draft National Labour & Employment Policy and the Private Placement Agency Bill, underlining that strong implementation is key to realizing the promise of a Viksit Bharat.

The conference also featured presentations on critical agendas. A presentation on the PMVBRY outlined its vision and structure, noting that the "Scheme is based on enrolment in EPFO to incentivize additional employment in formal sector and sustain it." Furthermore, 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.

The conference showcased a transformative vision for the welfare of India's construction workers through three key digital and physical initiatives. To directly address the dignity and safety of workers, the model of Labour Chowk Facilitation Centres (LCFCs) was presented, which will convert unsafe roadside gathering points into structured hubs offering shelter, drinking water, sanitation, and direct access to welfare services like registration and health camps. Complementing this, Digital Labour Chowk mobile application was presented which is a multilingual platform that connects workers with employers digitally for transparent and efficient job matching, reducing dependence on middlemen and unsafe waiting. To strengthen the financial backbone of welfare, the Online BOCW Cess Collection Portal introduces a unified digital system for automatic cess calculation, online payment, and real-time monitoring, ensuring plan approvals are linked to cess verification and accelerating the flow of funds to State Welfare Boards for worker benefits. The Digital Labour Chowk mobile app and the Online BoCW Cess Collection Portal were launched by Union Minister for Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, during the conference today.

A significant step towards safeguarding Indian jobseekers, the draft Private Placement Agency (Regulation) Act, 2025 was discussed. The proposed Central law aims to establish uniform national standards to regulate the currently fragmented placement ecosystem, bringing transparency and accountability to both domestic and overseas recruitment. Its core mechanism is the  registration of all private placement agencies, creating a single national registry. It also establishes a three-tier regulatory authority at the Central, State, and local levels to enforce compliance, and build a trusted, safe, and transparent placement ecosystem for every worker.

The inaugural day set a collaborative and action-oriented agenda, reinforcing the collective commitment of the Centre and States to ensure the dignity, security, and prosperity of every worker and citizen.

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Rini Choudhury/Anjelina Alexander