Inspector-cum-facilitator
Topic: Employment, Unemployment and Informalisation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
An inspector-cum-facilitator is the official who replaces the traditional labour inspector under India's four labour codes. The codes came into force on 21 November 2025. The role is partly advisory: the official helps employers understand and follow the law, rather than only punishing them. Inspections are randomised and web-based, run through the Shram Suvidha portal. The aim is to end inspector raj, where frequent discretionary inspections led to harassment, bribe-seeking and heavy compliance costs.
Example
A small factory is no longer visited whenever an inspector chooses. The portal selects it at random, and the official first advises the owner on how to fix any lapses.
Don't confuse with
- Inspector raj: the problem the new role is meant to fix, not a different name for the same job.
Related concepts
- Labour laws
- Tripartism
- Floor wage
- Fair wage
- Living wage
- Need-based minimum wage
- Lay-off
- Retrenchment
- Hire and fire
- Standing orders