New Labour Codes - Upgraded Safety for Hazardous Sector Workers

Why in News?

The new labour codes introduced by the government has a profound impact on the health and life of the workers, in the hazardous industries.

What are the new labour codes?

• Need for the regulation – Many workers in these industries operate in high-risk environments in industries such as mining, petroleum, metallurgy, chemical and heavy manufacturing play a vital role in India’s economic growth.
• Recognizing the need for a stronger, future-ready safety architecture for the workforce.
• New labour codes – The Government has introduced the new Labour Codes consolidating 29 Central labour laws into 4 Labour Codes.
• Under The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH&WC), a more integrated, preventive safety system with risk assessment, free annual health check-ups, training, PPE, emergency planning, etc. have been provisioned.
• Aim & objective – These reforms strengthen safety protocols, mandate risk-mitigation practices, and enhance accountability while giving employers clearer, simpler, and more predictable regulatory pathways.
• Notably, the new framework aims to ensure safer worksites, stronger protections, and more dignified conditions for India’s hazardous-sector workforce.

What are the key benefits to workers in hazardous processes?

• Safety Standards – The OSH&WC Code highlights national standards to be followed for use, handling, storage, and transport of hazardous substances.
• In order to further enhance the safety safeguards employers must conduct risk assessment, obtain approval, and maintain emergency response systems.
• Health & Medical Protection – Earlier, medical & health records were maintained manually and lacked portability and long-term traceability.
• Now, health records are mandatory and accessible to employees and inspectors, enabling transparency and long-term portability.
• Additionally, under the new Codes, pre-employment, periodic, and post-exposure medical examinations are mandatory, along with a free annual health check-up for all workers, ensuring early detection of occupational diseases that reduces medical costs and supports a healthier, more productive workforce.

• Protective & Welfare Measures – Under the new provisions, employers must provide and maintain PPE (personal protective equipment) such as helmets, gloves, respirators, and goggles.
• Additionally, ensuring improved sanitation and hygiene standards is also required- by mandating canteens, rest shelters, washing facilities, first aid, ambulance rooms, and cooling areas in high-temperature workplaces.
• Employers need to adhere by the prescribed maximum working hours of 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week.
• Training & Awareness – Earlier, trainings were not compulsory and varied by sector. Now, mandatory training sessions on the safe handling, storage, transport, and disposal of hazardous materials have been introduced to assist workers.
• Social Security – To ensure efficient social security provisions, immediate compensation for occupational diseases or accidents is ensured under the Social Security Code, 2020 (SS) / ESIC.
• Besides, workers are also entitled to ESIC benefits (medical, occupational disease, injury, disability, dependents’ benefits).
• Other benefits such as PF, gratuity, maternity, employment injury compensation and old-age protection (pension) are also provided, along with digital health and social security records that enhance transparency and portability.
• Special Rights – The Right is explicitly guaranteed under OSH&WC Code wherein workers may refuse dangerous work that are likely to cause serious injury or death, with mandatory employer investigation and zero penalty for refusal by workers.
• Besides, pregnant women and adolescents also avail benefits of special rights, as they are strictly barred from engaging in hazardous processes. Safety supervision is also mandatory for women workers in permitted tasks.

What are the Comparative Breakdown of Previous Laws vs. New Labour Codes?

• Legal Framework – Earlier, fragmented laws with separate provisions under the Factories Act (hazardous process), Mines Act, Dock Workers Act, and Building & Other Construction Workers Act (BOCW Act), carried their own list of hazardous operations.
• There are now uniform definitions under OSH&WC Code, 2020 for all industries involving chemical, biological, physical hazards.
• Specific provisions lay down standards for use, handling, storage, transportation of hazardous substances.
• There is also a uniform national framework for safety, health, welfare, emergency response.
• Identification of Hazardous Processes – Previously, different lists and rules under multiple Acts led to weak enforcement.
• Now, a consolidated Schedule under OSH&WC Code lists all hazardous processes (asbestos, toxic chemicals, pesticides, radioactive materials, etc.).
• Additionally, employers must conduct risk assessments and provide prior intimation before initiating hazardous processes.
• Emergency & Disaster Preparedness – No unified emergency management system existed with dependency on factory inspectorates or National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines.
• Now, with the Labour Codes in place, there needs to be a mandatory on-site emergency plan for every hazardous stablishment, emergency response mechanisms and six-monthly mock drills.
• Besides, a formal linkage with the local Disaster Management Authority for external coordination is also required.
• Inspection & Enforcement – There were multiple inspectorates under different Acts and overlapping jurisdictions existed.
• Whereas now, a unified Inspector-cum-Facilitator system is in place with risk-based digital inspections, joint compliance audits, and stringent penalties for violations.

What lies ahead?

• The new Labour Codes mark an impactful shift towards safer, fairer and more accountable workplaces- especially for those in hazardous sectors.
• With stronger safety standards, universal social security, welfare facilities, and emergency response mechanisms, India is building a labour ecosystem where security is not a privilege, but a guarantee.
• As India moves towards a more productive, inclusive, future-ready economy, it aligns with the spirit of Shramev Jayate- honoring the contribution of every worker who keeps the nation moving.

Reference

PIB| Safety for Hazardous Sector Workers

The Indian Ocean – Cradle of a New Blue Economy

Why in News?

Today, as climate change, rising sea levels, and overfishing place unprecedented stress on marine ecosystems—especially in the highly vulnerable Indian Ocean—India again faces a historic responsibility.

What is blue economy?

• Blue economy – It sustainably uses ocean resources for economic growth, jobs, and livelihoods while protecting marine ecosystems, balancing exploitation with conservation.
• It involves innovation, smart governance (like marine spatial planning), and inclusive practices, recognizing oceans as engines for clean energy, coastal jobs, and climate defense, contrasting with traditional marine economies that often degrade the environment.

• Key aspects & sectors
  • Fisheries & Aquaculture – Sustainable fishing, green aquaculture, better supply chains.
  • Marine Renewable Energy – Offshore wind, tidal, thermal energy.
  • Shipping & Ports – Efficient, green maritime transport, digital ports.
  • Tourism – Sustainable coastal and marine tourism.
  • Biotechnology – Utilizing marine biodiversity for pharmaceuticals.
  • Blue Carbon – Protecting and restoring mangroves and seagrass for carbon sequestration.
  • Deep Sea Mining – Exploring minerals responsibly.

What is the background of India’s blue economy?

• India’s Stance – When the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was negotiated in the 1970s and early 1980s, India stood with the world’s smallest and most vulnerable states.
• Advocacy of India – Alongside Pacific Island countries, India championed the principle that the seabed beyond national jurisdiction should be the “common heritage of mankind”.
• It was a remarkable moment, because a large developing country aligning itself with island nations, not for advantage, but for fairness.
• Nehru’s Vision – As early as the 1950s, Jawaharlal Nehru recognised the ocean’s centrality to India’s future, declaring: “Whichever way we turn, we are drawn to the seas.
• “Our future security and prosperity are closely linked with the freedom and the resources of the oceans.”
• That foresight set the stage for India’s enduring role as both a maritime nation and a maritime leader.
• Present status – Half a century later, the ocean faces pressures unimaginable at the time of UNCLOS. Climate change is heating and acidifying the seas, sea levels are rising, and illegal and unregulated fishing is stripping marine life from the water column.
• The Indian Ocean, home to one-third of humanity, is already one of the most climate-vulnerable basins on earth.
• India now has both the opportunity and the responsibility to play a historic leadership role once again.
• This time, the task is not to draft law, but to shape practice — ensuring that the Indian Ocean becomes not a theatre of rivalry, but a laboratory of sustainability, innovation, and resilience.

What should be done for a sustainable Blue Ocean?

• 3 pillars – India’s Blue Ocean Strategy should rest on three pillars: stewardship of the commons, resilience, and inclusive growth.
  • Stewardship – India must continue to assert that the Indian Ocean is a shared space, not a contested one.
  • By prioritising ecosystem restoration, biodiversity protection, and sustainable fisheries, India can set the tone for cooperative management, rather than competitive exploitation.
  • Resilience – As the climate crisis intensifies, ocean nations must focus on adaptation and preparedness.
  • India can lead by establishing a Regional Resilience and Ocean Innovation hub — one that strengthens ocean observation networks, improves early warning systems, and transfer technology to small island developing states and African coastal nations.
  • Inclusive growth – The Indian Ocean must become a driver of prosperity for all littoral states.
  • Green shipping, offshore renewable energy, sustainable aquaculture, and marine biotechnology offer pathways to development that are compatible with climate goals.
• Sustained investment and coordinated regional action – It is encouraging that the financial tide is beginning to turn.
  • Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) – It was held in Monaco, in June 2025, with governments, development banks and private investors.
  • They highlighted a €25 billion pipeline of existing ocean investments and announced €8.7 billion in new commitments, with near-parity between public and private sources.
  • The Finance in Common Ocean Coalition – By bringing together 20 public development banks, it announced annual pledges of $7.5 billion.
  •  The Development Bank of Latin America – It doubled its blue economy target to $2.5 billion by 2030.
  • Brazilian Presidency at COP30 in Belém - The launched the One Ocean Partnership as part of the Belém Action Agenda, committing to mobilise $20 billion for ocean action by 2030.

What is the present strategy and concerns on Indian Ocean?

• Present strategy – Much of today’s discourse on the Indian Ocean is framed in terms of “Indo-Pacific strategy”, naval balance, freedom of navigation, and secure sea lanes.
• Ecosystem collapse and climate disruption – Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, coral reef degradation and intensifying storm surges erode livelihoods and undermine social stability.
• Addressing these threats requires a shift from traditional notions of maritime security toward security through sustainability.
• SAGAR doctrine – India’s doctrine of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mauritius in 2015, offers an important anchor.
• The prime minister said “We seek a future for the Indian Ocean that lives up to its name as a zone of peace, stability and prosperity,” he said.

What is India’s historic responsibility?

• Stockholm Conference in 1972 – Prime Minister Indira Gandhi warned, we do not want to impoverish the environment any more than we want to impoverish our people.
• That insight remains strikingly relevant.
• COP30 in Belem (2025) &the G-20 Summit in Johannesburg-It recognised the importance of terrestrial and marine ecosystems for climate stability, sustainable development, and community resilience.
• Anchoring scaling up of finance and support for developing countries, aligning with the equity dimensions of ocean action.
• With the outcomes of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, COP30 in Belém, and the entry into force of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for ocean governance.
• Prospects for India – India’s readiness to ratify the BBNJ Agreement presents an opportunity to demonstrate how the Indian Ocean region can pioneer globally relevant solutions.
• From green shipping corridors and blue bonds to inclusive marine technology transfer and carefully governed ocean-based carbon dioxide removal.
• This agenda could also serve as a defining theme for India’s chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association.

What India should do?

• Financial routing – India must seize this moment to channel global financing into regional priorities.
• An Indian Ocean Blue Fund, seeded by India and open to contributions from development banks, philanthropy, and the private sector, could provide the institutional architecture needed to turn pledges into projects.
• Building leadership – If India leads with ambition, humility, and inclusivity, the Indian Ocean can once again demonstrate what was evident during UNCLOS negotiations: that even in the most complex of arenas, cooperation can prevail over conflict, and solidarity over rivalry.
• Coordination – The Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, working alongside civilian agencies, can deepen regional cooperation in maritime domain awareness, disaster response and ecosystem monitoring - aligning security objectives with environmental stewardship.
• Choosing the right approach – Not of rivalry, but of responsibility. Not of dominance, but of stewardship.
• As External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has noted, India’s approach to the Indian Ocean is “cooperative, consultative, and outcome-oriented,” aimed at shared prosperity and stability.
• The guiding principle should be simple and resonant: “From the Indian Ocean, for the World.”

What lies ahead?

• The Indian Ocean, the cradle of some of the world’s oldest civilisations, can now become the cradle of a new blue economy, one that marries prosperity with sustainability, and resilience with justice.
• The challenge is clear: to move beyond rhetoric, to align vision with finance, and to build partnerships that endure.
• For the world, the message is urgent: the ocean is not a void to be filled or a frontier to be conquered. It is the foundation of life itself.

Reference

The Hindu| Indian Ocean & Blue Economy

CoalSETU window

Why in news?

The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the Policy for Auction of Coal Linkage for Seamless, Efficient & Transparent Utilisation (CoalSETU) by creation of "CoalSETU window".

• CoalSETU window – It is a new policy mechanism that allows the coal linkages to be auctioned for diverse industrial uses and exports, with the aim of ensuring fair access and optimal resource utilization.
• Operated under – Ministry of Coal.
• Aim – To optimize the utilization of domestic coal resources and reduce dependence on imports.

Key Features

• Auction-based allocation – Coal linkages will be auctioned on a long-term basis for any industrial use or export.
• No end-use restrictions – Unlike the earlier NRS (Non-Regulated Sector) policy (2016) –
  • Which limited coal to specified sectors (cement, sponge iron, aluminium, etc [excluding Fertilizer (Urea)]), the new window allows broader participation.
• Alignment – It matches with earlier coal sector liberalization (commercial mining without end-use restrictions).
• Exclusion – The coking coal will not be offered under this window.
• Export allowance – The coal linkage holders can export up to 50% of their allocated coal.
• Flexibility – Coal linkage holders may utilize the coal flexibly for their own consumption, export, coal washing, or any other purpose, including distribution among their group companies.
• Restrictions – Traders barred from participation, resale within the country prohibited.
• Impact – It simplifies coal procurement for industries, increased availability of washed coal domestically, reduced imports, export potential for washed coal, strengthening India’s global presence.

References

1. PIB | Cabinet approves CoalSETU window
2. DD News | Cabinet approves CoalSETU window

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U)

Why in news?

The PMAY-U is one of the initiatives by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to enhance urban housing and development.

Land & Colonisation – State subjects.

• PMAY-U 2.0 – It is the revamped version of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
• Launched on – September 17, 2024, this new phase will be implemented for a period of five years, from 2024 to 2029.
• It is also known as Prime Minister's Housing Scheme (Urban).
• Original PMAY-U – Launched on June 25, 2015, with the goal of providing housing for all in urban areas.
• Aim – To provide all-weather pucca houses to all eligible urban households across the country with the vision of ‘Housing for All’.
• Implemented – Under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
• 4 Verticals/Components –
  • Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC),
  • Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP),
  • Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS) and
  • Affordable Rental Housing (ARH)
• Beneficiaries – Families belonging to EWS, lower & middle income segments including slum dwellers, women, PwDs, and senior citizens having no pucca house anywhere in the country, are eligible to purchase or construct a house under PMAY-U 2.0.
• Financial Assistance – Under PMAY-U 2.0, 1 crore additional families of urban India will receive financial support of up to Rs. 2.50 lakh by the Government to construct or purchase a pucca house in cities.
• Progress Achieved –
  • 122.06 lakh houses sanctioned (including 10.43 lakh under PMAY-U 2.0).
  • Out of which 113.85 lakh houses grounded.
  • 96.02 lakh houses completed/delivered as of 24 Nov 2025.
• Affordable Housing Policy – States/UTs must frame AHP to provide various reforms and incentives for public/private agencies includes measures like nominal (<1%) stamp duty/registration charges for houses up to 60 sqm.
• Regulatory Frameworks –
  • Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), 2016 – To ensures transparency and accountability in real estate.
  • Model Tenancy Act (MTA) – To balance the tenant-landlord rights and provides speedy dispute resolution.
  • Transit Oriented Development (TOD) – To integrate land use and transport planning to develop compact growth centres near transit stations.
  • It encourages mixed land-use, reduces pollution/congestion, and ensures EWS housing allocation.

References

1. PIB | Initiatives to Enhance Urban Housing and Development
2. PMAY-U | PMAY-U 2.0

World Inequality Report, 2026

Why in news?

The World Inequality Report 2026 was released recently, which highlights extreme and persistent economic disparities worldwide.

• Released by – World Inequality Lab.
• The 2026 report is the 3^rd report in the series after earlier 2018 and 2022 editions.

Key findings

• Global Wealth Inequality – The wealthiest 0.001% now hold 3 times the assets of the bottom 50% of humanity, with their share climbing from 4% in 1995 to over 6% 2025, amid rising inequality and declining global cooperation.
• Global Wealth Distribution – The richest 10% command 75% of global wealth, while the poorest 50% hold just 2%.
  • The top 1% alone control 37%, more than 18 times the bottom half. Even the one-in-a-million elite together own 3%, surpassing the wealth of billions.
  • The bottom half of humanity is as large as the combined adult populations of China, India, the US, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, and Russia.
• Gender Inequality – For including domestic and care work, women average 53 weekly hours, while men average 43.
• Pay gap – Excluding unpaid work, women earn 61% of men’s hourly income and when unpaid labor is included, falls to just 32%.
• Climate Inequality –
  • Poorest 50% of global population is responsible for only 3% of carbon emissions linked to private capital ownership.
  • Top 10% is accounts for 77% of emissions, Top 1% alone responsible for 41% of emissions, nearly double the entire bottom 90% combined.

India specific insights

• Income distribution – Top 10% of earners capturing 58% of national income, while bottom 50% receive only 15%.
• Wealth distribution – Richest 10% holding around 65% of total wealth and the top 1% holding about 40% of total wealth.
• Comparison with 2022 Report – Top 10% in India held 57% of the total national income while the bottom 50% share was 13% in 2021 (Inequality has worsened further in just 4 years).
• Female labor participation – Remains very low at 15.7%, stagnant for a decade.

References

Indian Express | World Inequality Report, 2026

50th Anniversary of CITES

Why in news?

Recently, the CITES marked its 50^th anniversary at CoP20 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

• CITES – The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement between governments.
• Aim – To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.
• Origins – In 1963, the idea was proposed at an IUCN (World Conservation Union) meeting, it entered into force on 1 July 1975.
• Membership – As of 2025, CITES has 185 Parties, including India, making it one of the largest conservation agreements (most recent to join – Turkmenistan).

Key Aspects of CITES

• Scope – It covers over 40,000 species, including live specimens, parts, and derivatives (like skins, tusks, timber).
• Secretariat – It is administered by UNEP, located in Geneva, Switzerland.
• COP – The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme consensus-based decision-making body, comprises all its parties.
• Appendices –
  • Appendix I – Species threatened with extinction (trade strictly controlled).
  • Appendix II – Species not immediately threatened but could become so (trade monitored).
  • Appendix III – Species listed by specific countries to regulate trade.
• Permits – It requires CITES permits or certificates for legal, sustainable trade, issued by national authorities.
• Governing Body – The CITES Secretariat manages the convention, with policy guidance from the Standing Committee (SC).
• CITES in India – Both the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (statutory body under the Ministry) are meant to combat wildlife crime.
• It assists and advises the customs authorities in the inspection of the consignments of flora and fauna as per the provisions of the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972.

Quick Fact

References

1. SDG Knowledge Hub | %0^th Anniversary of CITES
2. CITES | CITES
3. CITES | COP 20 of CITES

Preah Vihear Temple Complex

Why in news?

India has expressed concerns over the damage caused to the Preah Vihear temple complex in the disputed border region between Cambodia and Thailand.

• Temple of Preah Vihear – It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its exceptional Khmer architecture and dramatic cliff-top setting.
• Location – On the edge of the Dangrek Mountains plateau  of Cambodia, near the Thai border.
• Dedication – The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, reflecting Hindu spiritual traditions.
• Construction – It traces its origins in the 9^th century when a hermitage (secluded dwelling) was founded, but a major construction in the 11^th century.
• Structure – A series of sanctuaries connected by pavements and staircases along an 800-metre axis.

• Preservation – Its remote location has helped keep the site remarkably well preserved.
• Significance – It is an exceptional Khmer architecture, pure in plan and decoration and outstanding stone-carved ornamentation.
• India’s engagement – Since 1986, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been working to conserve and restore Cambodia’s ancient Khmer temples.
• Its projects include the restoration of Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm, and the work has now entered its third phase.
• Khmer Temples – Cambodia is home to over 4,000 Khmer temples,  which were built between the 9^th and 15^th centuries by Khmer Kings and Khmer people and influenced by both Hinduism and Buddhism.
• The most prominent temples are located near Siem Reap in the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

References

1. The Hindu | India expresses concern over damaged Preah Vihear complex
2. UNESCO | Temple of Preah Vihear