Analysis Of The Key Reforms Proposed Under The Apprentices Act 1961

I. Introduction

India's enormous labour potential, if harnessed properly, will go a long way in creating a skilled workforce. The Apprentices Act, 1961 ("Act") was a step towards the creation of such a workforce. The Act, read with the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992 ("Rules"), regulates and controls the training of apprentices and is applicable to all the industries notified by the Central Government.

Although the intention behind enacting a legislation such as the Act was to provide practical training and promote skilled manpower to increase employability, the implementation may not have been as successful as envisaged due to various reasons. After considering these issues, the Act was amended in 2014 and the Rules in 2015 through a Gazette notification dated June 16, 2015, and September 25, 2019. These reforms intended to showcase a shift in the government's approach towards the concept of apprenticeship from a regulatory to a promotional one.