Shram Samvad on Labour Codes Held for Employers in Kanpur

A regional capacity-building and awareness programme named Shram Samvad was held at IIA Bhavan in the Dadanagar Industrial Area of Kanpur on 28 October 2026. The Ministry of Labour and Employment put it together jointly with the Labour Department of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. Its subject was the Labour Codes, labour welfare and social protection.

Who took part

The programme was aimed at employers and at professionals who handle human resources, legal work and finance, so that they understand the new Labour Codes and the rules framed under them. Senior officers of the Ministry sat with officials of the state Labour Department, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and the Directorate General of Labour Welfare, alongside industry representatives. Shamim Akhtar, Additional Labour Commissioner of Kanpur, and Rajesh Aggarwal, Chairman of the Indian Industries Association, welcomed the gathering. The inaugural session was addressed by Abhinav J. Jain, an IAS officer serving as Chief Development Officer of Kanpur Nagar, who spoke about awareness among stakeholders, readiness to comply and effective implementation of the new framework.

The four technical sessions

Dr R. G. Meena, Adviser in the Ministry, took the first session with a broad survey of the Labour Codes, what they set out to do and the main reforms they bring. The second session was run by officials of the state Labour Department and the Ministry, and dealt with what employers must do under each of the four Labour Codes and under the central and state rules notified beneath them. The third and fourth sessions were devoted to two schemes: the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY) and the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) scheme.

Material handed out

Two documents prepared by the Ministry were given to participants to help them put the codes into practice: a Handbook of Compliance for Employers and a Compilation of Frequently Asked Questions. A question and answer session followed, in which participants raised doubts about the codes, compliance duties and social security provisions.

Why such programmes are held

Bringing central and state authorities together with industry on one platform is intended to improve understanding of labour reform, strengthen institutional capacity and encourage coordination between the Centre and the states. The Ministry treats such outreach as part of making the new labour law framework work on the ground rather than only on paper.