Question 53 from UPSC CSE 2022 - Economics

Question

In India, which one of the following compiles information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments, and lay-offs in factories employing workers?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. Labour Bureau

Strategy: The strategy focuses on identifying the institution specializing in 'industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments, and lay-offs'. The Labour Bureau is the designated authority for such labour statistics. Other listed bodies, like the Central Statistics Office (CSO) or the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), do not handle employment disputes or industrial relations data, making the Labour Bureau the appropriate choice.

Key Info: The Labour Bureau, an attached office under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, was established in 1920. It serves as the primary agency for the collection, compilation, analysis, and dissemination of statistics related to labour and workforce matters, specifically including industrial disputes, retrenchments, closures, and lay-offs.

Its annual publication, 'Industrial Disputes, Closures, Retrenchments and Lay-Offs in Industries in India', acts as an official record for employment-related disruptions, assisting policymakers in addressing industrial relations issues.

In contrast, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), now part of the National Statistical Office (NSO), focuses on national accounts, GDP, and macroeconomic data, not detailed industrial dispute statistics. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) manages policy matters for industrial development and FDI, without compiling dispute or retrenchment data. The National Technical Manpower Information System deals with technical education and manpower planning, not industrial relations.

Government and industrial planners rely on Labour Bureau data to formulate laws and policies concerning labour welfare, dispute prevention, and industrial harmony. Its statistics are considered authoritative for employment trends, industrial disputes, closures, lay-offs, and retrenchments within India.

Answer

Option A: Central Statistics Office

Answer

Option B: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade

Answer

Option D: National Technical Manpower Information System