Overview
- The Union government's draft Shram Shakti Niti 2025 states that the Manusmriti embeds the moral basis of labour governance within India’s civilisational fabric.
- Congress leaders, led by Jairam Ramesh, call the reference an insult to the Constitution and to B. R. Ambedkar’s legacy, linking it to RSS ideology.
- The draft also cites Yajnavalkyasmriti, Naradasmriti, Sukraniti and Arthashastra and portrays labour as a moral duty focused on justice, fair wages and protection from exploitation.
- Policy proposals include universal worker registration, portability of social security and linked accounts across EPFO, ESIC, PMJAY and e‑SHRAM, with risk‑based inspections and alignment to the Code on Wages 2019 and the OSH Code 2020.
- Released earlier in October for consultation, the draft’s feedback period closed on 27 October, with no official revision announced as critics question the timing before the 2026 Budget and upcoming state elections.