UPSC CARE Mains Practice 26th November 2025
Mains Practice Questions for the Day
- The four labour codes seek to simplify India’s labour regime, but have also raised concerns about dilution of workers’ rights.” Critically examine. GS-II (Polity & Governance – Labour laws, Welfare)
- The Indian Constitution is often referred to as a “living document.” Analyse its ability to adapt to changing circumstances
1Q. The four labour codes seek to simplify India’s labour regime, but have also raised concerns about dilution of workers’ rights.” Critically examine. GS-II (Polity & Governance – Labour laws, Welfare)
(GS Paper 2 – Health, Governance)
Introduction:
India has consolidated 29 central labour laws into four labour codes – the Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Industrial Relations Code, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code. They aim to create a unified framework for wages, social security, industrial relations and workplace safety, and became operational from 21 November 2025.
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How the Codes simplify and modernise labour laws
- Uniform wage and social security framework
- Code on Wages defines “wage” uniformly and introduces a National Floor Wage, ensuring a minimum standard across states.
- Time-bound wage payment and compulsory wage slips improve transparency.
- Expanded social security net
- Code on Social Security merges nine laws, formally recognises gig and platform workers, and mandates a social security fund for them.
- Fixed-term workers get parity with permanent workers and gratuity after one year, widening protection.
- Ease of doing business & compliance reduction
- Industrial Relations Code and OSH Code merge multiple Acts, offer single registration, common licences and e-filings, and decriminalise many offences by replacing imprisonment with fines.
- Higher thresholds for factory licence and for government approval for retrenchment/closure (300 workers) are intended to give firms flexibility and encourage formalisation.
- Improved workplace safety and dignity
- OSH Code mandates annual health check-ups, safety committees, written appointment letters, and allows women to work night shifts with safeguards.
Concerns and criticisms
- Hire-and-fire, job insecurity
- Trade unions argue that the higher retrenchment threshold and fixed-term employment may legitimise easier hiring and firing, increasing precarity.
- Right to strike curtailed
- Extending strike-notice conditions to all industries and including mass casual leave in the definition of strike are seen as diluting a key collective bargaining tool.
- Centralisation and weak enforcement
- States fear reduced flexibility in fixing wages and designing labour regimes.
- Without strong labour inspection and grievance redress, code-based protections may remain on paper.
- Gig and informal workers – promise vs. delivery
- Though recognised, gig/platform workers depend on future schemes and aggregator contributions; quantum and coverage of benefits remain uncertain.
Conclusion:
The labour codes are a major structural reform aimed at creating a simpler, investor-friendly labour regime while extending minimum wage and social security to a wider workforce. However, concerns over job security, collective bargaining, and actual implementation, especially for informal and gig workers, mean that the balance between flexibility and protection is not yet fully achieved. Going forward, consultative rule-making with trade unions and states, strong enforcement mechanisms, and worker-centric social security schemes will be crucial to ensure that the codes translate into “formalisation with fairness” rather than flexibility without security.
2Q. The Indian Constitution is often referred to as a “living document.” Analyse its ability to adapt to changing circumstances
Relevance: GS Paper-3(Environment),
Introduction:
The Indian Constitution is called a “living document” because it evolves with societal needs, policy priorities, and emerging challenges, while preserving its foundational democratic values. Its framers designed it to provide stability yet remain adaptable to changing circumstances.
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1. Flexible yet Balanced Amendment Procedure
The Constitution can be amended through Article 368, allowing evolution without compromising basic principles. Over 100 amendments reflect this dynamism:
- 73rd–74th Amendments deepened grassroots democracy.
- 101st Amendment (GST) modernised economic federalism.
- 86th Amendment expanded the right to education.
This demonstrates its ability to respond to political, social, and economic transitions.
2. Judicial Interpretation Keeps It Contemporary
The Supreme Court plays a crucial role in renewing constitutional meaning.
- Basic Structure Doctrine protects core values while allowing change.
- Article 21 has been expanded to include rights such as privacy, clean environment, livelihood, and digital rights.
- Progressive judgments (e.g., decriminalising Section 377, right to internet access) reflect evolving societal values.
3. Adaptability to Federal and Administrative Changes
The Constitution accommodates reorganisation of states, decentralisation, and emerging models of governance like cooperative and competitive federalism. Institutions evolve through conventions, reforms, and judicial oversight.
4. Capacity to Address New-Age Challenges
The constitutional framework extends to issues like data protection, cybersecurity, environmental sustainability, and technology governance, showing its relevance in the digital age.
Conclusion:
The Indian Constitution remains a “living document” because it grows through amendments, judicial interpretation, evolving political practices, and its ability to address new challenges. This balance of continuity and change ensures its enduring relevance in guiding India’s democratic journey.