UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — A century after legal recognition, workers still lack real protection

Q1. Which of the following is the earliest of the four Labour Codes enacted by Parliament during the 2019–2020 consolidation of central labour laws?

  • A. Code on Wages
  • B. Industrial Relations Code
  • C. Code on Social Security
  • D. Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code

Q2. At the Union level, which one of the following is the nodal ministry responsible for administering the four Labour Codes that came into force on 21 November 2025?

  • A. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
  • C. Ministry of Labour and Employment
  • D. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

Q3. With reference to how the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 differs from the Trade Unions Act, 1926 and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 it replaces, consider the following statements: 1. The Code introduces a 'Negotiating Union' having exclusive bargaining rights at an establishment where a union commands at least 51% of the workers as members — a concept absent in the Trade Unions Act, 1926. 2. The Code extends the requirement of a prior strike notice from only public utility services (under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947) to all industrial establishments. 3. The Code lowers the threshold of workers above which prior government permission is required for layoff, retrenchment or closure from 100 to 50, as compared to the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Code introduces a 'Negotiating Union' having exclusive bargaining rights at an establishment where a union commands at least 51% of the workers as members — a concept absent in the Trade Unions Act, 1926.
  2. The Code extends the requirement of a prior strike notice from only public utility services (under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947) to all industrial establishments.
  3. The Code lowers the threshold of workers above which prior government permission is required for layoff, retrenchment or closure from 100 to 50, as compared to the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. In the context of the Code on Social Security, 2020, the term 'aggregator' is best defined as which one of the following?

  • A. A registered trade union with at least 51% membership at an establishment, holding exclusive collective-bargaining rights
  • B. A digital intermediary or a marketplace that enables a buyer or user of a service to connect with the seller or service provider
  • C. A statutory tripartite body that pools welfare cess from employers, employees and the State into a single national fund
  • D. An association of platform workers recognised by the Central Board for the purpose of channelising social security benefits