The Centre has completed the implementation of four labour codes by notifying the corresponding rules in the official gazette, formally operationalising a sweeping overhaul of India's labour law framework more than five years after the reforms were first introduced. The new regime consolidates 29 existing labour laws into a simplified four-code structure, now fully enforceable across the country.

The Four Codes and Their Commencement

The codes — the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — had come into force on 21 November 2025. However, according to officials, certain operational aspects could not be enforced earlier due to the absence of notified rules. The gazette notification of those rules has now removed that final barrier.

Key Provisions for Workers

Labour Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted several worker-centric provisions embedded in the new framework. Equal wages for men and women workers have been mandated; maternity leave has been extended from 12 weeks to 26 weeks; and work-from-home provisions for women have been formally incorporated into the law. A National Reskilling Fund is also to be established to support workers who lose employment and require fresh training.

Free Annual Health Check-Ups for Workers

Earlier in May, Dr Mandaviya launched a nationwide annual health check-up initiative for all workers aged 40 and above under the new labour codes. These free health check-ups will be conducted across the country every year, marking one of the more visible welfare components of the reformed regime.

What the Government Said

Dr Mandaviya stated that the implementation of the four labour codes reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to ensuring dignity, welfare, and social security for workers across the country. This comes amid broader efforts by the Centre to position the labour reforms as a cornerstone of its economic modernisation agenda. Notably, the consolidation from 29 laws to four codes is intended to reduce compliance complexity for employers while expanding the formal social security net for workers.

What Comes Next

With the rules now notified, enforcement agencies and state governments are expected to align their administrative machinery to the new framework. Industry bodies have broadly welcomed the simplification, though labour unions have previously raised concerns about provisions in the Industrial Relations Code that they argue dilute workers' right to strike. The full impact of the codes on India's vast informal workforce — which accounts for the majority of the country's labour force — will be closely watched in the months ahead.