Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, will chair the 84th Annual General Meeting of the Governing Body of the Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education and Development in New Delhi tomorrow. The meeting aims to ensure the effective implementation and review of the Workers Education Scheme for the nation’s workforce.
The event will be attended by Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, senior officials from various ministries, representatives of trade unions, and employer organizations.
Headquartered in New Delhi, the Board has been empowering workers across the country through its 50 Regional Directorates since 1958. It focuses on training and awareness programmes for organized sector workers on human resources and industrial development, while also educating unorganized and rural workers about social security and various other labour welfare schemes and programmes.
In response to the evolving landscape, the Board is conducting Shramik Chaupals and Awareness-cum-Registration Camps to train workers and enroll them in various flagship government schemes, ensuring direct benefits. Additionally, the Board is collaborating with various institutions to provide skilling, reskilling, and upskilling opportunities to workers.
The Board is also in the process of obtaining Awarding Body status from the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET).
Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India Ltd., popularly known as ‘Cottage Emporium’ or ‘Cottage’ is organising its first ever Quiz about ” Crafts of India” in association with MyGov ( Ministry of Electronics and Communication, Government of India) (https://quiz.mygov.in/quiz/quiz-on-know-about-crafts-of-india-through-the-cottage/) with a view to encourage the youth keeping them abreast with the latest happenings of the Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India Ltd and the contribution by the Artisans and Weavers Community in preserving India’s National Heritage.
The quiz is open to all Indian citizens across ( except the employees and families of” the Cottage ” ) the country. The quiz is open till 30th April 2025 and the top 03 winners will be awarded prize by” the cottage”. Simultaneously the Citizens are being invited to administer pledge (https://pledge.mygov.in/support-women-artisans/) on the MyGov platform and first 100 women will receive a souvenir made by a Artisan.
A groundbreaking advancement in thermionic emission, the process in which electrons escape from a material’s surface due to thermal energy, could revolutionize next-generation electronic and energy conversion technologies.
Thermionic emission, the process where electrons are emitted from a heated metal surface, called a cathode, when the metal’s thermal energy overcomes the attractive forces holding electrons to the surface, is a fundamental principle behind vacuum electronics, thermoelectric devices, and energy harvesting systems. However, practical applications of thermionic emission in several energy conversion devices have been hindered by the unavailability of materials, high operational temperatures, and inefficient charge transport.
To address these challenges, Prof. Bivas Saha and his team at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India have engineered artificially structured defect-free single-crystalline elemental metal/compound semiconductor superlattices that harness interfacial engineering and leads to thermionic emission. Such engineered metamaterials lead to efficient electron transport and also utilize quantum properties of electrons.
Their pioneering research, published recently in the journal Advanced Materials, introduces a novel approach to enhancing electron emission using artificially structured single-crystalline elemental metal/ compound semiconductor superlattices.
This first-of-its-kind demonstration of controlled thermionic emission using engineered superlattices holds immense promise for thermoelectric energy converters, high-power vacuum electronics, and next-generation semiconductor applications.
“Our research redefines thermionic emission physics by leveraging quantum-engineered materials. These superlattices offer unprecedented control over electron transport, unlocking new possibilities for high-efficiency energy and electronic technologies,” emphasised Prof. Saha.
Supported by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, this research aligns with the national mission to advance high-tech materials, semiconductor research, and self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in cutting-edge technology. The research places India at the forefront of next-generation nanotechnology and material science innovations.
Building on these findings, the research team is focused on refining superlattice architectures for industrial-scale applications, particularly in solid-state energy harvesting and high-temperature electronics. With global demand for energy-efficient and high-performance electronic systems rising, this innovation could serve as a cornerstone for future technological advancements.
Electron microscope image of newly developed Hf/AlN superlattice and electrical measurement data are presented
Incubated at IIT Madras Research Park in 2016, QNu Labs is revolutionizing cybersecurity with quantum-safe solutions, positioning India as a global leader in quantum cryptography. In 2018, QNu launched QKD (Quantum Key Distribution), placing India on the global quantum map.
The journey of the deeptech startup has been an eventful one. In 2022, it won the iDEX Open Challenge 2.0, successfully developing a 150-km QKD system with trusted nodes, completing trials with the Army. Under the NSCS grant, it built a Hub-and-Spoke QKD network and received first large order from Indian Armed Forces for building quantum secure wireline networks using already laid optical fibres. In 2023, QNu solved the problem of security over wi-fi links by bringing in Quantum secure VPN solution using its QRNG product and NIST shortlisted PQC algorithm. This paved way for securing wireless networks using QVPN solution at MCEME and MCTE in 2023-24. In 2024, QNu delivered 25 QKD systems to the Indian Navy, marking a significant milestone in quantum secure communication in India.
The startup offers cutting-edge quantum-safe products —Tropos (QRNG), a Quantum Random Number Generator positioned as the new ‘Root of Trust’ for all the solutions and has been commercialized with delivery to DRDO and WESEE for critical applications and to Indian Army for quantum safe wireless solutions; Armos, a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) solution, delivered to a Middle Eastern client, Defence PSU BEL, the Indian Navy, and recently secured a significant order from the Indian Army; QShield, the quantum-secure SaaS platform, with fours services which are already being used by several clients.
Selected as one of the startups under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), QNu Labs aims to build and deploy a Quantum Communication Network that is Made in India, Made for the World with the world’s first end-to-end quantum- safe heterogeneous network. This network will integrate free-space QKD, indigenous components like SPD and encryptors, QHSM, and a software-defined QKD controller, showcasing India’s leadership in cutting-edge quantum communication technologies.
For the financial year 2024-25, budget allocation of ₹86,000 crore has been made for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), which is the highest ever allocation for scheme at the Budget Estimate (BE) stage since inception. In the financial year 2025-26, the Government has retained this allocation at ₹86,000 crore, ensuring continued support for rural employment.
As Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand-driven scheme, the Central Government is committed to making funds available to States and Union Territories based on the demand for work on the ground. The Ministry of Rural Development closely monitors this demand and seeks additional funds from the Ministry of Finance as and when required to meet the demand for work on the ground.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched in April 2022 with the ambitious goal of constructing or rejuvenating 75 Amrit Sarovars (ponds) in each district, totaling 50,000 across the country. Each Amrit Sarovar was to have pondage area of about 1 acre (except in case of States/UTs with hilly terrain) with water holding capacity of about 10,000 cubic meters (except in case of hilly terrain states.)
As on 20-03-2025, over 68,000 Amrit Sarovars have been completed, State-wise details of which are at Annexure. This initiative has made significant contribution in addressing the critical issue of water scarcity and enhancing surface and groundwater availability across various regions. These Sarovars have not only addressed immediate water needs but also established sustainable water sources, symbolizing Government commitment to long-term environmental sustainability and community well-being.
Mission Amrit Sarovar works are being taken up by the States and Districts in convergence with various ongoing schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), 15th Finance Commission Grants, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojna sub-schemes such as the Watershed Development Component, Har Khet ko Pani, besides States’ own schemes. Public contributions like crowdfunding and Corporate Social Responsibility are also allowed for the work.
Phase II of Mission Amrit Sarovar is envisaged to continue with a renewed focus on ensuring water availability, with community participation (Jan Bhagidaari) at its core, and aims to strengthen climate resilience, foster ecological balance, and deliver lasting benefits for future generations.
Peoples’ participation has been the key to the entire Mission. To encourage mobilization of citizens and non- Government resources for supplementing the Government’s efforts to achieve the target, explicit provisions have been made in the guidelines of the Mission Amrit Sarovar as follows:
Laying the foundation stone for the Amrit Sarovar to be led by freedom fighter or her/his family member or by the family of martyr (post-independence) or a local Padma awardee, and in case no such citizen is available, by the eldest member of the local Gram Panchayat.
Provision for people to participate by donating construction material, benches and by Shram Daan.
If village community so desires, beautification works on the Sarovar site may mobilize necessary donations through crowd sourcing and CSR contributions.
Provision has been made that on the occasion of Independence Day/ Republic Day, Tricolour to be hoisted at each Amrit Sarovar site, by the freedom fighter or his/her family member or by the family member of martyr or a local Padma Awardee. On Amrit Sarovar sites, National events are also being celebrated.
Possible users of such water structure, including for irrigation, fishery or water chestnut cultivation, should be identified and creation of their group are encouraged.
As per the guidelines of Mission Amrit Sarovar, effective maintenance and sustainability of Amrit Sarovars requires a formation and clear mapping of users’ groups associated with each sarovar largely drawn from members of SHGs. Proper identification and coordination of these user groups are essential for the optimal use and upkeep of the sarovars. The user group will also be responsible for the ongoing use and maintenance of the Amrit Sarovar including the plantation activities. The removal of silt from the catchment area should be done by the users’ groups voluntarily after every monsoon season.
Annexure
State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of Amrit Sarovar completed as on 20.03.2025
SI. No.
State/UT
Total Number of Amrit Sarovar Completed
1
Andaman & Nicobar
227
2
Andhra Pradesh
2154
3
Arunachal Pradesh
772
4
Assam
2966
5
Bihar
2613
6
Chhattisgarh
2902
7
Goa
159
8
Gujarat
2650
9
Haryana
2088
10
Himachal Pradesh
1691
11
Jammu And Kashmir
1056
12
Jharkhand
2048
13
Karnataka
4056
14
Kerala
866
15
Ladakh
100
16
Madhya Pradesh
5839
17
Maharashtra
3055
18
Manipur
1226
19
Meghalaya
705
20
Mizoram
1031
21
Nagaland
256
22
Odisha
2367
23
Puducherry
152
24
Punjab
1450
25
Rajasthan
3138
26
Sikkim
199
27
Tamil Nadu
2487
28
Telangana
1872
29
The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
58
30
Tripura
682
31
Uttarakhand
1322
32
Uttar Pradesh
16630
33
West Bengal
25
Total
68,842
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
As a marketing initiative under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) SARAS Aajeevika Mela is organised at national and state levels. An export pavilion was in place at SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2025 at Noida, Uttar Pradesh organised by the Ministry of Rural Development to showcase products of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) having export potential, with the primary goal of encouraging and promoting SHGs towards export of their products. Training sessions cum Workshops were conducted in this Mela for capacity building and generating export potential in SHGs, and to creating awareness.
National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) has conducted a national-level workshop in Delhi on 14th and 15th May 2024 to deliberate the scope of ‘Export Marketing of Handicraft and Handloom Products of SHGs’.
Ministry of Textiles under Marketing component of National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), organized the following events to provide a marketing platform to artisans and promote export of handicrafts:
(I) Domestic Marketing events including Gandhi Shilp Bazar/Fashion Show/Hiring of Stalls in events organized by other organizations/CDAP.
(II) International Marketing Events in India & Abroad include:
International Marketing Events.
International Craft Exposure Programme.
Buyer Seller Meet & Reverse Buyer Seller Meet.
Fairs/Exhibitions/Events on Virtual Platforms.
The Ministry has undertaken tie-ups with eCommerce Players for promotion of SHG products. In collaboration with Government e-Marketplace (GeM) a “SARAS Collection” has been created as a Store Front in GeM for marketing of SHG products. Also, Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been entered between Ministry and Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd., Amazon, Fashnear Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Meesho) and Jiomart respectively to allow the Self Help Groups (SHGs) producers including the artisans, weavers and craftsmen to access national markets through the Flipkart Samarth programme, Amazon Saheli initiative, Meesho and Jiomart for marketing of SHGs products. An e-Commerce platform (www.esaras.in) has also been launched by the Ministry for online marketing of SHG products. eSARAS is also live as a Seller Network Participant on ONDC. Curated products of women SHGs are available on 11 Apps of ONDC network i.e. Paytm, Mystore, Craftsvilla, Jagran, Snapdeal, Novopay, Easypay, Gonuclei, Rubaru, Mappls, Himira.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Centre safeguards consumer rights via various provisions under Consumer Protection Act, 2019 Central Consumer Protection Authority imposes penalty of ₹ 77 lakh 60 thousand on 24 coaching institutes for misleading advertisements
Department of Consumer Affairs secures refunds of ₹1.56 crores for over 600 aspirants and students in education sector through National Consumer Helpline
Posted On: 25 MAR 2025 3:44PM by PIB Delhi
Department of Consumer Affairs is continuously working for consumer protection and empowerment of consumers by enactment of progressive legislations. With a view to modernize the framework governing the consumer protection in the new era of globalization, technologies, e-commerce markets etc. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was repealed and Consumer Protection Act, 2019 was enacted.
Salient features of the new Consumer Protection Act, 2019 are establishment of a Central Consumer Protection Authority(CCPA); simplification of the adjudication process in the Consumer Commissions such as enhancing pecuniary jurisdiction of the Consumer Commissions, online filing of complaint from the Consumer Commission having jurisdiction over the place of work/residence of the consumer irrespective of the place of transaction, videoconferencing for hearing, deemed admissibility of complaints if admissibility is not decided within 21 days of filing; provision of product liability; penal provisions for manufacture/sale of adulterated products/spurious goods; provision for making rules for prevention of unfair trade practice in e-commerce and direct selling.
The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 provides for a three tier quasi-judicial machinery at District, State and Central levels commonly known as “Consumer Commissions” for protection of the rights of consumers and to provide simple and speedy redressal of consumer disputes including those related with unfair trade practices. The Consumer Commissions are empowered to give relief of a specific nature and award compensation to consumers, wherever appropriate.
The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs has emerged as a single point of access to consumers across the country for their grievance redressal at a pre-litigation stage. Consumers can register their grievances from all over the country in 17 languages including Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Nepali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Maithili, Santhali, Bengali, Odia, Assamese and Manipuri through a toll-free number 1915. These grievances can be registered on Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM), an omni-channel IT enabled central portal, through various channels- WhatsApp (8800001915), SMS (8800001915), email (nch-ca[at]gov[dot]in), the NCH app, the web portal (consumerhelpline.gov.in) and the Umang app, as per their convenience. 1049 companies, who have voluntarily partnered with NCH, as part of the ‘Convergence’ programme directly respond to these grievances according to their redressal process and revert by providing feedback to the complainant on the portal. Complaints against those companies, who have not partnered with National Consumer Helpline, are forwarded to the company for redressal.
To safeguard the interests of consumers from unfair trade practices in e-commerce, the Department of Consumer Affairs has notified the Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. These rules, inter-alia, outline the responsibilities of e-commerce entities and specify the liabilities of marketplace and inventory e-commerce entities, including provisions for consumer grievance redressal.
The Department of Consumer Affairs, in consultation with all the stakeholders, has finalized a “safety Pledge” which is a voluntary public commitment of e-Commerce platforms to ensure the safety of goods sold online and respect the consumer rights. Aligned with global best practices, this initiative strengthens consumer protection in the e-Commerce. On the National Consumer Day 2024, 13 major e-Commerce companies including Reliance Retail group, Tata sons group, Zomato, Ola, Swiggy etc. signed the Safety Pledge for ensuring consumer safety. The support and agreement of major e-Commerce companies to abide by the safety pledge will go a long way in ensuring protection of consumer rights.
Under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), an executive agency, came into existence on 24.07.2020. It is designed to intervene, to prevent consumer detriment arising from unfair trade practices and to initiate class action(s), including the enforcement of recalls, refunds and return of products. Its core mandate is to prevent and regulate false or misleading advertisements which are prejudicial to the public interest.
Dark patterns involve using design and choice architecture to deceive, coerce, or influence consumers into making choices that are not in their best interest. Dark patterns encompass a wide range of manipulative practices such as drip pricing, disguised advertisement, bait and switch, false urgency etc. Such practices fall under the category of “unfair trade practices” as defined in the Sub-section 47 under Section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The CCPA, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 18 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, has issued “Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023” on 30th November, 2023 for prevention and regulation of dark patterns listing 13 specified dark patterns identified in e-Commerce sector. These dark patterns include false urgency, Basket Sneaking, Confirm shaming, forced action, Subscription trap, Interface Interference, Bait and switch, Drip Pricing, Disguised Advertisements, Nagging, Trick Wording, Saas Billing and Rogue Malwares.
The CCPA has also notified the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022 on 9th June, 2022. These guidelines inter-alia provide for; (a) conditions for an advertisement to be non-misleading and valid; (b) certain stipulations in respect of bait advertisements and free claim advertisements; and, (c) duties of manufacturer, service provider, advertiser and advertising agency. These guidelines states that due diligence is required for endorsement of advertisements such that any endorsement in an advertisement must reflect the genuine, reasonably current opinion of the individual, group or organisation making such representation and must be based on adequate information about, or experience with, the identified goods, product or service and must not otherwise be deceptive.
Further to strengthen consumer protection, the CCPA enacted the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing and Misleading Environmental Claims, 2024 (effective 15th October 2024), mandating transparency in environmental claims and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements in the Coaching Sector, 2024 (effective 13th November 2024), addressing false claims, exaggerated success rates and unfair practices in coaching institutes.
The CCPA has imposed a penalty of ₹ 77 lakhs 60 thousands on 24 coaching institutes for misleading advertisements. The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has successfully secured refunds amounting to ₹1.56 crores for over 600 aspirants and students in the education sector through National Consumer Helpline (NCH). These students, enrolled in coaching centres for Civil Services, Engineering Course and other programmes, were previously denied rightful refunds despite following the terms and conditions set forth by the coaching institutes. The action by the Department has helped students receive compensation for unfulfilled services, late classes, or cancelled courses, ensuring they do not bear the financial burden of unfair business practices.
Action has already been taken by the CCPA against various entities including e-commerce platforms for affecting consumers, as a class,for violation of consumer rights, false and misleading advertisements and unfair trade practices as defined under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Action has also been taken against the sale of domestic pressure cookers that do not meet compulsory BIS standards on e-commerce platforms. Additionally, as per CCPA’s directions, travel companies have refunded Rs. 1,454 Crores as of 20.03.2024 to consumers for cancelled flights due to the Covid-19 lockdown. CCPA has also mandated that these companies update their websites with clear instructions and status updates on refund claims related to cancelled tickets. Further, 13,118 listings of car seat belt alarm stopper clips have been delisted from major e-commerce platforms based on the Orders passed by CCPA to delist all such products which violates consumer rights and are unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019as the sale or marketing of said productcompromise with the life and safety of consumer by stopping alarm beep when not wearing seat belts.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified framework on ‘Online Consumer Reviews — Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication’ on 23.11.2022 for safeguarding and protecting consumer interest from fake and deceptive reviews in e-commerce. The standards are voluntary and are applicable to every online platform which publishes consumer reviews. The guiding principles of the standard are integrity, accuracy, privacy, security, transparency, accessibility and responsiveness.
Under CONFONET scheme, VC equipment for conducting hearing through video conferencing mode has been installed and made functional at 10 benches of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and 35 benches of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRCs).
This information was given by the Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri B.L. Verma in a written reply today in the Rajya Sabha.
Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today announced that the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has expanded its coverage in Uttar Pradesh by notifying 15 additional districts under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Scheme. This marks a significant step towards strengthening social security for workers in the state.
He mentioned that with this notification, a total of 74 out of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh are now fully covered under the ESI Scheme, benefiting 30.08 lakh Insured Persons (IPs) and 1.16 crore beneficiaries. The newly notified districts namely, Ambedkar Nagar, Auraiya, Bahraich, Gonda, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Kannauj, Maharajganj, Mahoba, Pilibhit, Siddharthnagar, Shamli, Pratapgarh, Kasganj, and Shravasti, add 53,987 new Insured Persons to the ESIC network.
Revised Implementation Status Nationwide
Following this expansion, the national implementation status of the ESI Scheme stands as follows:
Total Districts Covered (Fully + Partially): 689
Fully Notified Districts: 586
Partially Notified Districts: 103
Non-Notified Districts: 89
Total Districts in India: 778
Measures for Further Expansion
To ensure comprehensive coverage across all remaining uncovered areas, ESIC has been actively working on the following initiatives:
Coordination with the State Government to arrange medical care facilities in non-implemented areas.
Utilizing Community Health Centers (CHCs) and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) to extend medical care in uncovered districts.
Integration with Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) to provide cashless medical care for ESIC beneficiaries without any expenditure cap.
Benefits under the ESIC Scheme
The ESIC provides a comprehensive social security net for workers, including:
Medical Benefits: Primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare.
Unemployment Allowance: Under the Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana (RGSKY) and Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY) for workers facing job loss.
The notification of these 15 districts reaffirms the Government’s commitment to extending social security coverage to every eligible worker in the country. Efforts are underway to bring the remaining non-notified districts under ESIC, ensuring that no worker is left out of this vital safety net.
Boilers Bill to improve trust by decriminalising offences
3 out of 7 offences decriminalised, speedy redressal for all non-criminal offences
Obsolete provisions removed to enhance Ease of Doing Business
New Act to prioritise safety of workers
The Boilers Bill, 2024 was introduced in Lok Sabha today by the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal. It repeals the Boilers Act, 1923 (5 of 1923). The Bill had earlier been passed by the Rajya Sabha on 4th December, 2024 and shall be sent for assent of the President of India after it is passed by the Lok Sabha.
The re-enacted legislation meets the current requirements of stakeholders including industry, personnel working on/with boilers and implementers in the country and is as per need in the current times. The salient features of the Bill are as under:
It has been drafted as per modern drafting practices to give more clarity to the provisions of the Bill. The similar provisions which are at different places in the Boilers Act,1923 have been grouped together in six chapters for easier reading and understanding of the Act. All the functions/powers of the Central Government, State Governments and Central Boilers Board have been enumerated in detail to avoid any confusion.
For Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), the Bill will benefit boiler users including those in the MSME sector as provisions related to the decriminalisation have been incorporated in the Bill. Out of the seven offences, to ensure safety of boilers and personnel dealing with boilers, in four major offences which may result in loss of life and property, criminal penalties are retained. For other offences, provision is being made for fiscal penalty. Moreover, for all non-criminal offences ‘fine’ has been converted into ‘penalty’ to be levied through executive mechanism instead of courts as existed earlier.
The proposed bill will enhance safety as specific provisions have been made in the Bill to ensure the safety of persons working inside a boiler and that repair of boiler is undertaken by qualified and competent persons.
The Government of India is examining all the pre- constitution Acts from the point of view of their suitability and relevance in the current times.
The Boilers Act, 1923 was comprehensively amended in the year 2007 by the Indian Boilers (Amendment) Act, 2007 wherein inspection and certification by independent third party inspecting authorities was introduced. However, on further examination of the existing Act, a need has been felt for review of the Act and also to incorporate the decriminalised provisions in consonance with the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023.
The existing Act has, accordingly, been reviewed wherein redundant /obsolete provisions have been omitted and certain substantive enabling provisions have been made for the rules and regulations which were not earlier provided. Certain new definitions have also been incorporated and few existing definitions have been amended so as to give more clarity to the provisions of the Bill. (details given in enclosed Annexure)