Central Government's Expanded Supervisory Scope Under The Labour Codes

The Ministry of Labour and Employment, on 21 November 2025, notified the four labour codes, repealing and replacing 29 existing labour laws in what is regarded as one of India's most ambitious reform exercises.

Labour and employment fall under the Concurrent List of the Constitution, allowing both Parliament and state legislatures to enact laws. While the Parliament enacts the primary legislation, implementation and rulemaking for most of the labour laws traditionally rested with the state governments in their capacity as the appropriate government. Under the now-repealed regime, the central government acted as the appropriate government only for limited sectors like mines, oilfields, major ports, and for central public sector undertakings and entities carried on under its authority, while private establishments largely fell under the state jurisdiction.