Migrant Realities
Bengal migrants fear for jobs as 60 lakh voters await results of adjudication after SIR
Migrant workers fear job loss if their names are struck off the electoral rolls; first supplementary list may be published Monday. For the 60 lakh voters whose names are in the adjudication list, many of whom are migrant labourers working in other states, getting their names on the electoral rolls is important as it is tied to their livelihoods.
Migrant exodus begins in Surat as West Asia conflict chokes fuel supply
The ongoing crisis in West Asia has left a serious impact on the migrant workers in Surat, Gujarat, as a severe shortage of gas has disrupted both household cooking and factory operations, leaving them with little option but to return to their natives. The repercussions could be adverse for the city, which is known to be a booming industrial hub, if the exodus continues.
मज़दूरों की बस्ती में लगे ताले, LPG Gas न मिलने से Delhi छोड़कर गांव जाने पर मजबूर, Ground Report
VIDEO: The dream of the big city is quietly collapsing behind rusted padlocks. In the narrow, suffocating lanes of Mayur Vihar, silence has replaced survival. Families who once arrived from Bihar with ambition are now folding their lives into plastic sacks—retreating, not by choice, but by compulsion.
Scammed after return from Russia, 55 migrant workers wait for their passports as Europe dream shattered
The WhatsApp group had 55 members now — migrant workers scattered across India, bound by a shared problem. All of them were trying to recover passports they feared might never be returned. Just days earlier, many of them had believed they were on their way to Europe.
Poll Promises
In Assam fray, why BJP sits pretty in key tea garden belts amid outreach to workers
Just ahead of the Assam elections, the PM, at an event in Guwahati on March 13, kicked off distribution of land pattas to tea-garden workers in their housing quarters, calling it a step towards correcting “historic injustices”. The BJP govt's move to give land pattas to tea workers marks its biggest welfare measure for them, gains traction, even as tea garden owners' bodies move court against it.
Cash transfers in polls causes fiscal strain, disrupts the labour market
In recent elections, cash transfers have emerged as the decisive lever. They cost little to promise, and can be funded by the exchequer if a party comes to power. Poll pledges are already coming in thick and fast. The MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (DMK) government in Tamil Nadu transferred ₹5,000 each to 13.1 million women under its Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (women’s rights grant) scheme… Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has promised to raise payouts under already existing cash transfer schemes. An unintended but dire consequence of direct, unconditional cash transfers is the way it affects the labour market. Industries and farmers in many states, even those that have large young populations, are already complaining of shortages of labour.
Employment News
PM Internship Scheme eases rules for Firms and Individuals
The government is broadening the PM Internship scheme. New sectors like semiconductors and renewable energy are now included. Companies can join even without CSR obligations. Eligibility criteria for candidates are relaxed, and the stipend is increased. The third phase targets 100,000 aspirants with over 15,500 internship offers available. Meanwhile the drop-out rates for Phase 1 and 2 have been 54 per cent and 34 per cent, respectively.
Fewer than 20% colleges achieve strong placements despite NEP push: Report
Fewer than 20 per cent of higher education institutions in India manage to place more than 75 per cent of their students within six months of graduation, despite employability emerging as a key focus under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, according to a report released on Monday by TeamLease Edtech.
75 lakh jobs added in informal sector in 2025: NSO Survey
After the successive shocks of the last few years, the informal sector added nearly 75 lakh jobs during Jan-Dec 2025, the latest data released by the statistics ministry on Tuesday showed. This takes the total number employed in the unorganised sector to to 12.8 crore, up marginally from 12.1 crore in the Oct 2024-Sept 2025 period.
The Gig Economy Comes to Government Jobs
Union government data for 2024-25 shows that Himachal Pradesh has the highest youth unemployment rate in the country. At 33.9% for those aged 15 to 29, the figure is more than double the national average of 14.8%. Now the state is quietly replacing permanent recruitments with temporary “Mitra” roles – a new model of gig-style governance, one that leaves over 6.7 lakh jobseekers without security or timelines.
India's Labour Economy
Labour shortage fears hit industry amid war, Holi, Ramadan disruptions
Amidst a critical worker deficit, factories and rapid delivery companies are enduring the aftershocks of the Holi holiday, with numerous staff opting not to return. A global crisis has disrupted LPG supplies, complicating canteen operations. Furthermore, the upcoming elections in West Bengal are spurring a migration from larger cities.
Cities to face house help shortage as migrants return home to vote
Major Indian cities face a looming shortage of essential household help. Cooks, nannies, drivers, and security guards are heading home for upcoming assembly elections. This exodus is expected to cause significant disruption. Recruitment firms are offering higher salaries and incentives to retain workers. The situation is anticipated to peak mid-April, impacting services across Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
Surveys
Fresh family income survey likely ahead of CPI-IW Update
New Delhi: The Ministry of Labour and Employment is considering a fresh Working Class Family Income and Expenditure Survey, a decade after the last such exercise, as it prepares to update the base year for the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) to 2025, officials said. The move is aimed at better capturing shifts in consumption patterns among industrial workers over the past decade.
In the Courts
SC grants pension relief to women SSC officers denied permanent commission
NEW DELHI: In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that women Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force who were denied Permanent Commission (PC) due to arbitrary assessments are entitled to full pensionary benefits. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and N. Kotiswar Singh invoked its extraordinary powers to ensure complete justice. The Court held that these officers would be “deemed” to have completed the minimum qualifying service of 20 years required for pension, even if they were released earlier.
Help farmers shift from paddy to pulses, SC suggests to govt
NEW DELHI: Suggesting a major reboot in agricultural policy, Supreme Court Friday asked the Union govt to deliberate with domain experts and stakeholders to devise a remunerative framework to encourage farmers to shift from traditional wheat and paddy crops to pulses. During the hearing on a PIL questioning the govt's wisdom in importing yellow peas, the govt told the Bench that shortfall of 30 lakh tonnes in production of pulses between 2021 and 2024 had forced govt to import yellow peas to stabilise prices and guard consumer interest.
Women in the Workforce
81% women lawyers find the going far tougher than men: SCBA survey
A nationwide survey conducted by the Supreme Court Bar Association of India (SCBA) among 2,604 women legal professionals has found that a vast majority perceive the legal profession as more challenging for women than for men. As many as 81.3 per cent reported a tougher career trajectory, with 41.1 per cent describing it as “much harder”. Nearly two-thirds (63.7 per cent) said they had, at some stage, found the profession discouraging.
Travails of Fisherfolk
Kerala’s fishing community issues to play key role in its upcoming elections
VIDEO: The fishing community in Kerala says political parties across the spectrum have largely ignored their demands for decades. A large number of fishing families belong to the Latin Catholic community. According to some estimates, there are around 20 lakh people from this community, and analysts say the Church does influence their political decisions.
Labour Demands
Important Conference on Rights and Social Security of Unorganised Workers Held in Bishnupur
With the aim of raising awareness about the rights, dignity and social security of workers in the unorganised sector, a workers’ conference was organised on 14 March 2026 at Lalmati Resort in Bishnupur, Bankura district, under the initiative of the Bharatiya Railway Mall Godam Shramik Union (BRMGSU). The conference witnessed the participation of a large number of workers from different districts. A significant number of Mallgodam (Goods Shed) workers from railway goods sheds across the country attended the conference. Workers from several other unorganised sectors were also present, including stone sculpture artists, pottery artisans, masons, bidi workers, private tutors, marginal farmers and other members of the working community. Their presence reflected a broader unity among unorganised labour.
Profiles
A rebellious Hoshiarpur cobbler that PhD students love to cite
Dwarka Bharti, a 77-year-old Hoshiarpur cobbler, is also a prominent Dalit writer whose works challenge caste hierarchies and are featured in university syllabi. Identifying as an artisan, he uses his craft and writing as acts of rebellion, promoting equality. He changed his surname to "Bharti" to assert a neutral Indian identity, and co-founded an Ambedkar library and magazine.