Workforce in transition

New draft policy will improve labour-market conditions

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The Ministry of Labour and Employment's draft national labour policy, Shram Shakti Niti, has the right intentions. It aims to build a fair, inclusive, and future-ready system where every worker-formal, informal, or gig- has access to dignity, protection, and opportunity. The ministry's role is redefined as an "employment facilitator", using digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to connect workers, employers, and training institutions seamlessly. It recognises that India's labour market is experiencing structural shifts, driven by digitisation, green transitions, and new employment forms such as gig work and platform work, and in this direction, the plan to expand the National Career Service (NCS) into a Digital Public Infrastructure for Employment shows a shift toward a data-driven, worker-centred approach to bridge the gap of information asymmetry.