Question map
In India, which one of the following compiles information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 3: Labour Bureau.
The Labour Bureau, an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, is the apex national-level organization responsible for the collection, compilation, and dissemination of statistics on various facets of labour. Specifically, it compiles data on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments, and lay-offs under the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
Reasons why other options are incorrect:
- Central Statistics Office (CSO): Focuses on national accounts, GDP, and the Annual Survey of Industries, but not specific industrial relations data.
- DPIIT: Deals with industrial policy, FDI, and investment promotion rather than labour-specific statistics.
- NTMIS: Focuses on human resource planning and technical manpower, not industrial disputes.
Thus, the Labour Bureau serves as the specialized nodal agency for monitoring industrial relations and labour welfare statistics in India.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Agency Mandate' question. While standard books cover the Industrial Disputes Act, they rarely explicitly name the compiler of these specific stats. However, knowing the distinct roles of NSO (Macro/Output), DPIIT (Policy/FDI), and Labour Bureau (Worker-specific data) makes this solvable via elimination.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Does the Central Statistics Office (India) compile information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers?
- Statement 2: Does the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (India) compile information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers?
- Statement 3: Does the Labour Bureau (India) compile information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers?
- Statement 4: Does the National Technical Manpower Information System (India) compile information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers?
- States that the publication “Statistics on Industrial Disputes, Closures, Retrenchments and Lay-offs” is compiled from information furnished by Labour Commissioners and Regional Labour Commissioners (Central).
- Shows that these statistics are produced by the Labour Bureau process, not by a Central Statistics Office attribution in the passage.
- Official Labour Bureau page title refers to reports on statistics for industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in industries in India.
- Indicates the Labour Bureau as the source/host of these statistical reports rather than naming the Central Statistics Office.
- The Labour Bureau publication explicitly presents statistics of industrial disputes resulting in work-stoppages, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs.
- Reinforces that these specific statistics are produced by the Labour Bureau series of reports.
Describes ASI as published by CSO/NSO and notes ASI covers all factories registered under the Factories Act (thresholds for number of workers).
A student could infer that since CSO/NSO collects detailed factory-level statistics (by legal coverage), it is a plausible place to look for additional factory-related indicators such as disputes/closures/lay-offs and then check ASI tables or metadata.
States that the Central Statistics Office (CSO/NSO) compiles and publishes major industrial statistics (IIP) regularly.
One could generalize that CSO/NSO is responsible for industrial statistics beyond production (so a student might search CSO/NSO publications or portals for other industrial indicators like disputes or retrenchments).
Explains NSO (successor to CSO/NSSO) conducts labour force surveys (PLFS) producing employment/unemployment statistics.
Since NSO collects labour-market data, a student could reasonably check whether NSO/CSO also collects related employer-side events (retrenchment, lay-offs) in its surveys or linked administrative data.
Summarises legal requirements under the Industrial Disputes Act about permissions for lay-offs/retrenchment/closure for firms above size thresholds.
Knowing these are legally regulated events, a student could expect administrative or statistical agencies (like CSO/NSO) or labour ministries to track such events — so they could check CSO/NSO publications or labour department records for statistics on these events.
Notes the Industrial Relations Code changes thresholds for closure/retrenchment without permission, expanding the segment affected up to 300 workers.
A student could use this rule to identify which firm-size bands are most likely to report closures/retrenchments and then inspect CSO/NSO data tabulated by firm-size to see if such event indicators are present.
Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is described as the principal source of industrial statistics for organised manufacturing and is published by the Central/ National Statistical Office under the Ministry of Statistics, covering factories defined under the Factories Act.
A student could check ASI scope/questionnaires (or NSO/Ministry of Statistics outputs) to see if ASI asks about disputes/closures/retrenchments to judge whether those stats come from MSO/NSO rather than DPIIT.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is identified as coordinating action plans for manufacturing sectors under the 'Make in India' initiative.
Knowing DPIIT’s coordination role, a student could look at DPIIT publications or sectoral dashboards to see whether it also compiles firm-level labour/closure statistics or only policy/coordination data.
The Industrial Disputes Act requires government permission for lay-offs/retrenchment/closures above a worker threshold, implying administrative records or notifications may be created by appropriate governments when firms seek permission.
A student could infer that such permission processes likely generate government-held records (state labour departments); they could check whether those records are centralized or sent to DPIIT.
The Industrial Relations Code (2020) changes the threshold (from 100 to 300) for requiring government permission for closure/retrenchment, indicating statutory thresholds that determine reporting/permission requirements.
A student might use this to identify which agency or level of government implements/records those permissions under the new code (central vs state) and thereby test if DPIIT is the compiler.
Index of Industrial Production (IIP) and core industry statistics are said to be compiled and published monthly by the Ministry of Commerce (not DPIIT), showing other ministries compile key industrial data.
A student could compare which ministries/agencies publish various industrial statistics (IIP by Commerce, ASI by NSO) to judge whether DPIIT is likely the compiler of dispute/lay-off data.
- Explicitly names the publication that compiles statistics on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs.
- States the compilation is based on information furnished monthly by State Labour Commissioners and Regional Labour Commissioners, indicating Labour Bureau's role in assembling these statistics.
- Labour Bureau webpage title directly refers to reports on statistics for industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in industries in India.
- Indicates such reporting is an official activity presented on the Labour Bureau site.
- Specifically states that data on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs are received (for compilation) on a voluntary basis.
- Supports that Labour Bureau receives and compiles these categories of labour statistics.
Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is described as the principal source of industrial statistics for organised manufacturing and specifies coverage of factories by employment size.
A student can use ASI's stated role and coverage to judge whether such industrial-event data are typically collected by statistical agencies (and thus whether Labour Bureau might or might not be the compiler) by looking up which agency (NSO/ASI vs Labour Bureau) officially publishes these factory-level statistics.
Defines 'industrial unrest' and lists its manifestations (strikes, retrenchment, dismissal, lockouts, etc.), giving the specific categories (retrenchment, dismissal, lay-offs) that the statement mentions.
A student could use this list as a checklist of variables an agency might collect and then verify which institution's publications report these categories.
Explains legal requirements and thresholds (firms >100 workers previously needed prior permission before retrenchment/closure), linking industrial events (retrenchment/closure/lay-off) to legal/regulatory reporting obligations.
Knowing legal thresholds, a student could check whether statistical/administrative reports (by Labour Bureau or others) focus on establishments above/below these thresholds and thus infer which agency would logically collect such data.
Notes the Industrial Relations Code change raising the threshold (from 100 to 300) for needing prior permission for closure/retrenchment, indicating shifts in which establishments are subject to official oversight.
A student can combine this with knowledge of administrative reporting: if legal oversight is concentrated above a threshold, official compilations of disputes/closures might align with those thresholds and thus point to which agency compiles them.
Describes consolidation of labour laws into labour codes and institutional reform, suggesting changes in where labour-related data and oversight might be centralized.
A student could investigate whether such consolidation led to shifting statistical responsibilities (e.g., from multiple ministries/agencies to a single agency like Labour Bureau) by checking administrative mandates post-reform.
Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is described as the principal source of industrial statistics and explicitly covers all factories registered under the Factories Act (specific worker thresholds).
A student could use ASI's stated coverage (factories with 10+/20+ workers) to judge whether a national manpower system would plausibly include similar factory-level dispute/closure data and then check NTIMS scope against ASI-covered units.
The Industrial Disputes Act imposes legal procedures for lay-offs/retrenchment/closures (permission requirements for firms above a worker threshold), implying government agencies record such actions.
A student could reason that because firms must seek government permission for retrenchment/closure, an administrative information system (like NTIMS) might collect those records and then look for NTIMS links to ID Act compliance data.
The Industrial Relations Code (2020) changes the worker-threshold for prior permission (from 100 to 300), indicating that statutory reporting/permission rules (and thus data collection) are tied to defined size classes of establishments.
Using the threshold change, a student could infer which establishment sizes are likely to generate formal data on retrenchment/closures and then check whether NTIMS covers those size bands.
PLFS/NSO is presented as an institutional source that produces regular labour market statistics (employment/unemployment) at national and state levels.
A student might use NSO/PLFS as an example of national-level labour data collection and then investigate whether NTIMS is another specialized system that records industrial disputes/lay-offs alongside NSO outputs.
The text lists multiple official data sources for labour and employment (Census, PLFS, Directorate General of Employment and Training registrations), showing a pattern that different agencies maintain specialized registers/statistics for labour events.
A student could extend this pattern to hypothesize that NTIMS may be one such specialized register for technical manpower and therefore might include dispute/lay-off data for factories, prompting targeted verification.
- [THE VERDICT]: Logical Sitter. While the specific report is niche, the options allow for easy elimination based on the core mandates of the agencies listed.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The 'Data Architecture' of the Indian Economy. Who publishes what? (IIP, CPI, WPI, ASI, Employment Data).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Create a 'Data Publisher' Table: 1. NSO (MoSPI): GDP, IIP, CPI (Rural/Urban), PLFS, ASI. 2. Labour Bureau (MoLE): CPI-IW (Industrial Workers), CPI-AL/RL, Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), Industrial Disputes. 3. DPIIT (MoCI): WPI, FDI Statistics, 8 Core Industries. 4. RGI (Home Ministry): Census, SRS (Infant Mortality/Birth Rates).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Never read a statistic (e.g., 'Unemployment is 6%') without noting the *Source Agency*. UPSC loves asking 'Who releases this?' more than the actual number. If the topic is 'Industrial Disputes' (a negative labour event), look for the agency tasked specifically with labour welfare, not general industrial promotion.
ASI is the principal source of organised manufacturing statistics and covers factories employing 10 or more workers (with power) and 20 or more (without power).
High-yield for UPSC because questions often ask which official survey covers organised industrial data and the statutory coverage thresholds. Mastering ASI links industrial statistics to policy evaluation and labour/industrial questions.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > Annual Survey of Industries > p. 386
The Central Statistics Office (now NSO) compiles and publishes the Index of Industrial Production monthly and is responsible for ASI publications.
Important for UPSC as it clarifies institutional responsibility for key industrial indicators, aiding answers on data sources, reliability and periodicity. It connects to questions on macroeconomic indicators and statistical governance.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > Index of Industrial Production (IIP) > p. 384
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > 7.6 Index of Industrial Production and Core Industries > p. 237
Industrial law required prior government permission for retrenchment/closure above a worker-threshold (100 earlier), and the Industrial Relations Code raised the threshold to 300.
Crucial for UPSC because it links labour law to industrial relations and employment policy; useful for questions on reform impacts, job security, and debates on ease of doing business versus worker protection.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > Issues with the current laws and impact on economy: > p. 260
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > 4. The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 > p. 264
Understanding legal thresholds for prior permission to retrench or close establishments is central to questions about who collects or regulates data on closures and lay-offs.
High-yield for labour law and industrial relations questions: explains how the Industrial Disputes Act (and its replacement code) affects firm behaviour and administrative jurisdiction. Connects to employment generation, regulatory reform, and institutional responsibility questions; useful for framing questions on policy impact and which agencies enforce or monitor compliance.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > Issues with the current laws and impact on economy: > p. 260
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > 4. The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 > p. 264
Knowledge of the institutional source of industrial statistics clarifies which agency compiles factory-level data and what factory sizes are covered.
Crucial for questions distinguishing statistical agencies and datasets: ASI (under CSO/NSO, MoSPI) is the main compiled dataset for organised manufacturing and defines coverage by worker thresholds. Helps separate data-collection roles from policy/coordination roles and supports accurate attribution of statistical responsibilities in answers.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 12: Indian Industry > Annual Survey of Industries > p. 386
DPIIT is identified as the coordinator for manufacturing sectors under Make in India, which is relevant when assessing whether DPIIT compiles or coordinates industrial information.
Important for administrative and governance questions: distinguishes policy coordination functions of DPIIT from statistical compilation and enforcement roles of other ministries/agencies. Helps candidates map departmental mandates, inter-ministerial responsibilities, and likely sources of different types of industrial information.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > Make in India > p. 230
Firms above a specified worker threshold must obtain state permission before retrenching, laying off, or closing operations.
High-yield for UPSC because it explains statutory constraints on employer actions, links labour law to employment generation and industrial relations, and is frequently tested in questions on labour regulation and its economic impact.
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 8: Inclusive growth and issues > Issues with the current laws and impact on economy: > p. 260
The Labour Bureau also compiles the **CPI for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW)**, which is the specific index used to calculate **Dearness Allowance (DA)** for government employees. This is a high-probability future question.
Apply 'Name-Function Mapping':
- CSO/NSO deals with *Statistics* (General/Macro).
- DPIIT deals with *Promotion* (Positive/Policy).
- NTMIS deals with *Technical Manpower* (Education/Skill).
- 'Disputes, Retrenchment, Lay-offs' are core *Labour* issues. Therefore, **Labour Bureau** is the only logical fit.
Links to **GS-3 (Employment & Inclusive Growth)**: The reliability of 'Jobless Growth' claims depends on these specific datasets (QES/PLFS). The shift from the Industrial Disputes Act to the new **Industrial Relations Code** changes the reporting thresholds (100 to 300 workers), directly impacting the data Labour Bureau collects.