Right to Disconnect Bill is a Private Member's Bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, 6 February 2026 by A.A. Rahim, CPI(M) MP from Kerala [1][4].
Seeks to convert the "right to disconnect" from informal workplace etiquette into a statutory labour right, allowing employees to ignore work communication outside office hours [2][3].
UPSC relevance: tests awareness of Private Member's Bills procedure, labour welfare legislation trends, and comparative global practice (France, Portugal, Australia) [1].
Part of a wider legislative push — similar bills also moved by Supriya Sule (NCP-SP, Lok Sabha, reintroduced December 2025) and Shashi Tharoor (Congress, seeking amendment to the OSH Code, 2020) [2].
2. Why in the News
On 6 February 2026, during the Budget Session of Parliament, A.A. Rahim introduced the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, reported by The Hindu on 7 February 2026 [4].
Post-lunch sessions in both Houses are reserved for Private Member's Bills, the slot used for this introduction [4].
Triggered by concerns over India's "always-on" digital work culture, disproportionately affecting IT, platform, and service-sector youth, and reportedly linked in public discourse to deaths of young professionals allegedly due to work-related stress [1][4].
3. Background & Evolution
Concept originates from France's 2017 law ("droit à la déconnexion"), mandating companies with over 50 employees to negotiate policies allowing employees to ignore digital communication after hours [4].
Subsequent adopters: Portugal (2021) and Australia (2023)[1].
In India, Supriya Sule first proposed a similar right-to-disconnect Bill in 2019, and reintroduced it in the Lok Sabha in December 2025[2].
Shashi Tharoor has separately introduced a Private Member's Bill proposing amendment to the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 to cap working hours and embed the right to disconnect [2].
Rahim's Bill, titled "The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025" (as introduced text on sansad.in), is the Rajya Sabha counterpart moved in the 2026 Budget Session [1].
4. Core Static Facts
Introduced by: A.A. Rahim, Rajya Sabha MP, CPI(M), Kerala; also All-India President, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) [2].
Date of introduction: 6 February 2026 (Budget Session) [4].
Type: Private Member's Bill (not a Government Bill) [4].
Core provision: Employees not obliged to respond to work-related emails/calls/messages after office hours, weekends, holidays, or sanctioned leave [4].
Protection clause: Bars adverse consequences — disciplinary action, poor appraisal, denial of career opportunities — for exercising this right [4].
Obligation on employers: Statutory duty to draft and implement disconnect policies [4].
Sectors highlighted: IT, platform (gig), and service sectors [4].
Comparable Bills: Supriya Sule (Lok Sabha, NCP-SP, reintroduced Dec 2025); Shashi Tharoor (Congress, seeks to amend OSH Code, 2020) [2].
5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis
Social: Targets rising mental health concerns and burnout among young professionals; addresses erosion of personal/family time due to digital intrusion [4].
Economic: Could affect labour productivity models in IT/BPO/platform economy; employer compliance costs for drafting disconnect policies [4].
Legal: Currently no explicit Indian statute recognises "right to disconnect" as a labour right — the Bill would create a new statutory obligation on employers, potentially interacting with the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020[2].
Governance/Administrative: As a Private Member's Bill, faces low probability of passage without government backing; historically most PMBs lapse [3].
Comparative/Historical: India's move mirrors European and Australian precedents but adapts to India's gig/platform-heavy informal labour dynamics [1][4].
6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)
December 2025: Supriya Sule reintroduces her Right to Disconnect Bill in the Lok Sabha, originally proposed in 2019 [2].
6 February 2026: A.A. Rahim introduces the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025/2026 in the Rajya Sabha [4].
7 February 2026: The Hindu reports on the Bill's introduction and rationale [4].
A.A. Rahim is a CPI(M) MP in the Rajya Sabha, representing Kerala[2].
Rahim is also the All-India President of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI)[2].
The Right to Disconnect Bill was introduced on 6 February 2026 during the Budget Session[4].
Private Member's Bills are taken up in the post-lunch session of both Houses [4].
France was the first country to legislate the right to disconnect, in 2017[4].
France's law applies to companies with more than 50 employees[4].
Portugal (2021) and Australia (2023) are other countries with right-to-disconnect laws [1].
Supriya Sule (NCP-SP) first moved a similar Bill in 2019 and reintroduced it in December 2025[2].
Shashi Tharoor (Congress) has proposed amending the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 to embed the right to disconnect [2].
The Bill targets protection for workers in the IT, platform, and service sectors[4].
The Bill bars disciplinary action, poor performance appraisal, or denial of career opportunities as retaliation for disconnecting [4].
Private Member's Bills are introduced by MPs who are not ministers[4].
8. Mains Relevance
GS-II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors; issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources; Parliament — functions, structure, Private Member's Bills.
GS-III: Effects of liberalization on the economy; employment; inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Possible Mains stems:
1. "Discuss the need for statutory recognition of the 'right to disconnect' in India in the context of the digital-first work culture. Examine international precedents and challenges to implementation." (GS-II/III)
2. "Private Member's Bills rarely become law in India. Critically examine their significance in shaping legislative discourse, with reference to recent labour-related PMBs." (GS-II)
3. "Evaluate the adequacy of India's existing labour codes in addressing occupational mental health concerns arising from digital work intrusion." (GS-III)
9. Related Topics to Study Next
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — the labour code Tharoor's Bill seeks to amend; core labour-law reform context.
Private Member's Bills — procedure and history — explains why such Bills rarely pass; relevant to Parliament functioning (GS-II).
Labour Codes of India (4 Codes) — broader restructuring of India's labour law framework.
Gig and platform workers' welfare — Code on Social Security, 2020 provisions for gig workers.
Mental health legislation in India — Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, linked to workplace stress concerns.
International Labour Organization (ILO) standards on working hours — comparative/global governance angle.
France's "droit à la déconnexion" (2017) — original comparative precedent.
Rajya Sabha functioning and Budget Session structure — procedural context for when such Bills are introduced.
10. Common Errors / Trap Areas
Do not confuse A.A. Rahim's Rajya Sabha Bill with Supriya Sule's Lok Sabha Bill — same theme, different House, different MP/party.
The Bill is a Private Member's Bill, not a Government Bill — it does not reflect official government policy and has low chances of becoming law.
Do not conflate this Bill with the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, which Tharoor separately seeks to amend — Rahim's is a standalone Bill.
Note France (2017) as the pioneering country, not Germany or the EU as a bloc.
Do not misattribute A.A. Rahim's party — he belongs to CPI(M), not CPI.