Employment 

Statement 1 is correct. The Code on Social Security provides definition of Platform Work as a work arrangement outside of a traditional employer-employee relationship in which organizations or individuals use an online platform to access other organizations or individuals to solve specific problems or to provide specific services.
Statement 2 is correct. The Code on Social Security, 2020 states that the central government will set up social security funds for unorganized workers, gig workers and platform workers.
Further, state governments will also set up and administer separate social security funds for unorganized workers. It also makes provisions for registration of all three categories of workers – unorganized workers, gig workers and platform workers.

Both statements are correct.
The Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC) recently announced the launch of Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees (SCALE) India web platform and android app.
SCALE will help candidates in the skilling ecosystem to get assessed and certified on their knowledge, skills and behaviour on a specific qualification pack.
It also enables access to micro-learning modules for bridging the skill gaps that are identified and can be re-assessed and certified at the end of the learning on the specific qualification pack.
From an employer standpoint, the platform will serve as a job portal with access to a certified talent pool of candidates to hire from, leading to increase in productivity and profitability. Employers can share their skill gap requirements and check for suitable training modules available to bridge the skill gap of their workforce and raise training requests for short term/customised training that would be serviced by the LSSC.
# LSSC was set up as a non-profit organisation in 2012 as one of the key sector skill councils approved by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

The Phillips curve is an economic concept developed by A. W. Phillips stating that inflation and unemployment have a stable and inverse relationship. The theory claims that with economic growth comes inflation, which in turn should lead to more jobs and less unemployment.
# A Lorenz curve is a graphical representation of income inequality.
# The Laffer Curve is a theory developed by supply-side economist Arthur Laffer to show the relationship between tax rates and the amount of tax revenue collected by governments.

Statement 1 is correct. The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) is a mandatory savings scheme under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
–It covers every establishment in which 20 or more persons are employed (and certain other establishments which may be notified by the Central Government even if they employ less than 20 persons each), subject to certain conditions and exemptions as provided for in the Act.
–The pay ceiling is Rs.15000/- per month. Persons drawing pay above Rs. 15,000/- are exempted or can be enrolled with some permission or on voluntary basis.
Statement 2 is correct. The Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 is applicable to non-seasonal, manufacturing establishments (other than a mine subject to the operation of the Mines Act, 1952, or a railway running shed) employing 10 or more workers. For health and medical institutions, the threshold limit is 20 workers.
–ESI Scheme for India is an integrated social security scheme for the workers in the organized sector and their dependents, in contingencies, such as Sickness, Maternity and Death or Disablement due to an employment injury or occupational hazard.
–The wage ceiling is Rs.21000/- per month. Subscribers are termed as Insured Persons (IP) and a new IP number can also arise due to change in employment.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)’s National Pension scheme (NPS) is an easily accessible, low cost, tax-efficient, flexible and portable retirement account.
— From 1st January 2004, the Central and the State Governments have adopted this scheme for new employees except for armed forces.
–.NPS was extended to Corporate Sector from 2009 onwards and it provides platform for Corporates to make co-contribution in NPS accounts of their subscribers or facilitate them to make their own contributions for their NPS accounts.

Statement 1 is correct. The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) is a Central Sector Scheme of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to facilitate street vendors to access affordable working capital loan for resuming their livelihoods activities, after easing of lockdown.
Statement 2 is correct. The credit is being provided by Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Small Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies, Micro-Finance Institutions and SHG Banks.
Salient features of the Scheme:
-Initial working capital of up to `10,000/-
-Interest subsidy on timely/ early repayment at 7%
-Monthly cash-back incentive on digital transactions
-Higher loan eligibility on timely repayment of the first loan.

Both statements are correct.
The Code on Wages, 2019 replaced the four laws: (i) the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, (ii) the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, (iii) the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, and (iv) the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.

As per the Code, the central government will fix a floor wage, taking into account living standards of workers. It may set different floor wages for different geographical areas. Before fixing the floor wage, the central government may obtain the advice of the Central Advisory Board and may consult with state governments.

The Code prohibits employers from paying wages less than the minimum wages. Minimum wages will be notified by the central or state governments. Further, the minimum wages decided by the central or state governments must be higher than the floor wage.

Statement 1 is correct. The Code on Social Security provides definition of
Platform Work as a work arrangement outside of a traditional employer-employee
relationship in which organizations or individuals use an online platform to access other
organizations or individuals to solve specific problems or to provide specific services.
Statement 2 is correct. The Code on Social Security, 2020 states that the central
government will set up social security funds for unorganized workers, gig workers and
platform workers.
Further, state governments will also set up and administer separate social security funds
for unorganized workers. It also makes provisions for registration of all three categories of
workers – unorganized workers, gig workers and platform workers.

The Future of Jobs report by World Economic Forum maps the jobs and
skills of the future, tracking the pace of change.
The report’s key findings include:
–The pace of technology adoption is expected to remain unabated and may accelerate in
some areas.
–Automation, in tandem with the COVID-19 recession, is creating a ‘double-disruption’
scenario for workers. In addition to the current disruption from the pandemic-induced
lockdowns and economic contraction, technological adoption by companies will transform
tasks, jobs and skills by 2025.
–Although the number of jobs destroyed will be surpassed by the number of ‘jobs of
tomorrow’ created, in contrast to previous years, job creation is slowing while job
destruction accelerates.
–In the absence of proactive efforts, inequality is likely to be exacerbated by the dual
impact of technology and the pandemic recession.

Statement 1 is correct. The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) is a mandatory savings scheme under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.

–It covers every establishment in which 20 or more persons are employed (and certain other establishments which may be notified by the Central Government even if they employ less than 20 persons each), subject to certain conditions and exemptions as provided for in the Act.
–The pay ceiling is Rs.15000/- per month. Persons drawing pay above Rs. 15,000/- are exempted or can be enrolled with some permission or on voluntary basis.

Statement 2 is correct. The Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 is applicable to non-seasonal, manufacturing establishments (other than a mine subject to the operation of the Mines Act, 1952, or a railway running shed) employing 10 or more workers. For health and medical institutions, the threshold limit is 20 workers.

–ESI Scheme for India is an integrated social security scheme for the workers in the organized sector and their dependents, in contingencies, such as Sickness, Maternity and Death or Disablement due to an employment injury or occupational hazard.

–The wage ceiling is Rs.21000/- per month. Subscribers are termed as Insured Persons (IP) and a new IP number can also arise due to change in employment.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)’s National Pension scheme (NPS) is an easily accessible, low cost, tax-efficient, flexible and portable retirement account.

— From 1st January 2004, the Central and the State Governments have adopted this scheme for new employees except for armed forces.

–.NPS was extended to Corporate Sector from 2009 onwards and it provides platform for Corporates to make co-contribution in NPS accounts of their subscribers or facilitate them to make their own contributions for their NPS accounts.

The Code on Wages, 2019 replaces the Payment of Wages Act, 1936,
Minimum Wages Act, 1948, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, and the Equal Remuneration Act,
1976.
Statement 1 is correct. According to the Code, the central government will fix a floor
wage, taking into account living standards of workers. Further, it may set different floor
wages for different geographical areas.
The minimum wages decided by the central or state governments must be higher than the
floor wage.
Statement 2 is correct. The Code on Wages, 2019 prohibits gender discrimination in
matters related to wages and recruitment of employees for the same work or work of similar
nature. Work of similar nature is defined as work for which the skill, effort, experience,
and responsibility required are the same.

Booth statements are correct.
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for Atmanirbhar Bharat RojgarYojana (ABRY) to boost employment in formal sector and incentivize creation of new employment opportunities during the Covid recovery phase under Atmanirbhar Bharat Package 3.0.
–Government of India will provide subsidy for two years in respect of new employees engaged on or after 1st October, 2020 and upto 30th June, 2021
–Government will pay both 12% employees’ contribution and 12% employers’ contribution towards EPF in respect of new employees in establishments employing upto 1000 employees for two years; and only employees’ share of EPF contribution in establishments employing more than 1000 employee for two years.
–An employee drawing monthly wage of less than Rs. 15000/- who was not working in any establishment registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) before 1st October, 2020 and did not have a Universal Account Number or EPF Member account number prior to 1stOctober 2020 will be eligible for the benefit,
–Any EPF member possessing Universal Account Number (UAN) drawing monthly wage of less than Rs. 15000/- who made exit from employment during Covid pandemic from 01.03.2020 to 30.09.2020 and did not join employment in any EPF covered establishment up to 30.09.2020 will also be eligible to avail benefit,

Statement 1 is correct. Under the Constitution of India, Labour is a subject in the Concurrent List where both the Central & State Governments are competent to enact legislation subject to certain matters being reserved for the Centre.
Entry 22: Trade Unions; industrial and labour disputes.
Entry 23: Social Security and insurance, employment and unemployment.
Statement 2 is incorrect. According to the Code on Wages 2019, the central government will fix a floor wage, taking into account living standards of workers. Further, it may set different floor wages for different geographical areas. Before fixing the floor wage, the central government may obtain the advice of the Central Advisory Board and may consult with state governments.
The minimum wages decided by the central or state governments must be higher than the floor wage. In case the existing minimum wages fixed by the central or state governments are higher than the floor wage, they cannot reduce the minimum wages.

Statement 1 is correct. The Code on Wages 2019 prohibits gender discrimination in matters related to wages and recruitment of employees for the same work or work of similar nature. Work of similar nature is defined as work for which the skill, effort, experience, and responsibility required are the same.
Statement 2 is correct. The Code specifies penalties for offences committed by an employer, such as (i) paying less than the due wages, or (ii) for contravening any provision of the Code. Penalties vary depending on the nature of offence, with the maximum penalty being imprisonment for three months along with a fine of up to one lakh rupees.

There is a clear demographic divergence between north-central and south-western regions; one is a young hinterland with vast labour force and the other ones are ageing with decreasing working age population.

 Most of the current and future demographic potential is locked in the north-central States, and largely located in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

 As per population projections by UNFPA, these five States will account for more than half of the growth in the labour force in India.

 Those who are under 15 years of age today will become India’s working population in coming decades. Almost every second person in this age group resides in these five States.

 The accompanying figure shows that there is a gap of almost 20 years between the northern hinterland and southern States in terms of the peak of the working age ratios in these regions.

Lok Sabha passed the Code on Wages Bill, 2019, which amends and consolidates laws relating to wages/bonus and universalizes the provisions of minimum wages and timely payment of wages to all employees irrespective of the sector and wage ceiling.

 At present, the provisions of both Minimum Wages Act and Payment of Wages Act apply to workers below a particular wage ceiling working in Scheduled Employments only.

• “This Bill would ensure Right to Sustenance for every worker and intends to increase the legislative protection of minimum wage from existing about 40% to 100% workforce.”

 A release issued by the Ministry noted that the Code on Wages Bill, 2019, subsumes relevant provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.

 After the enactment of the Bill, all these four Acts will get repealed.