Centre notifies four new Labour Codes
- Four Labour Codes Notified:
- Code on Wages (2019)
- Industrial Relations Code (2020)
- Code on Social Security (2020)
- Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code (2020)
- Replaces 29 fragmented labour laws, many dating back to 1930s–1950s (pre- and early post-Independence).
- The Codes have defined gig work, platform work, and aggregators for the first time.
- Additional systemic reforms include:
- Inspector-cum-facilitator model for supportive compliance
- Faster dispute resolution through two-member tribunals
- A National Occupational Safety, Health (OSH) Board to harmonise safety standards.
- Key Reforms Introduced:
- Universal social security coverage for gig workers.
- Gender pay parity.
- Expanded rights and safety for women workers.
- Statutory backing for minimum wages.
- Introduction of fixed-term employment.
- Free annual medical check-up for workers above 40 years of age.
Geological Survey of India (GSI)
- The Union Minister of Coal & Mines inaugurated GSI’s International Seminar in Jaipur to mark 175 years of the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
About Geological Survey of India (GSI)
- GSI is India’s premier national geoscientific organisation, responsible for geological surveys, mineral exploration, and creation of national geoscience databases.
- It functions as an attached office under the Ministry of Mines.
- Established In: Formally established in 1851.
- Founded primarily to locate coal resources for expanding Indian Railways during British rule.
Historical Evolution:
- Early 1800s: Initial geological work done by Survey of India and Army officers like W. Voysey (first geological map of Hyderabad, 1818–23).
- 1837: Committee for “Investigation of Coal and Mineral Resources” created; John McClelland used the term “Geological Survey of India” in 1848.
- 1851: Under Sir Thomas Oldham, continuous institutional geological work started, marking the true beginning of GSI.
- Over 175 years, it evolved into a national repository of geological and mineral data and a globally respected scientific institution.
