Call for Papers | Conference on Labour Law 2.0: Reimagining Work, Rights & Regulation by T.S Mishra University: Register by Jan 28 [Extended]

About T.S Mishra University

T.S Mishra University is where we believe in nurturing talent, fostering innovation, and empowering individuals to reach their full potential. The admission process is designed to identify students who demonstrate academic excellence, passion for learning, and a commitment to making a positive impact in their chosen fields of study. The T S Mishra University has been established as a memorial to the late Justice Tribeni Sahai Misra, whose commitment to Education inspired the founding members to create a Centre of Excellence for Learning, Knowledge and Wisdom.

About T.S. Mishra School of Law

T.S. Mishra School of Law is dedicated to providing quality legal education and prioritising outcome-based education. The vision of TSM School of Law is to promote Law courses, programmes, curriculum, research, collaborations, and interaction through its faculty, infrastructure, and varied opportunities.

From the academic year 2024-25, it offers a five-year Integrated B.B.A. LL.B. and B.A. LLB. programme; one year LL.M. programme (Criminal and Security Law/Constitutional and Administrative Law) and Ph.D. (Full Time-Law).

The LL.M. programme of TSM School of Law is offered for all law graduates, corporate lawyers, legal practitioners, civil servants, diplomats and judges with two options for specialisation. By incorporating new-age learning technologies, the school offers competency-based, adaptive, and collaborative education which is also based upon the National Education Policy, 2020. This creates a learning environment that equips students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the evolving legal landscape.

About the Conference

Theme: Labour Law 2.0: Reimagining Work, Rights & Regulation In The Age Of India’s New Labour Codes

India stands at a transformative juncture in its labour governance framework. For decades, the labour sector operated under a highly fragmented legal architecture comprising 29 different Central labour legislations, each addressing discrete aspects of wages, industrial relations, safety, social security and employment conditions. Despite their historical significance, these laws had become complex, overlapping and often inconsistent with contemporary economic realities, leading to compliance burdens for industries and limited accessibility for workers.

To modernise this landscape, the Government of India undertook a landmark reform exercise, integrating the laws into four comprehensive Labour Codes:

• The Code on Wages, 2019
• The Industrial Relations Code, 2020
• The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020
• The Social Security Code, 2020

Collectively, these Codes represent the most extensive restructuring of Indian labour laws since Independence. They aim to create a simplified, transparent and technology-driven regulatory framework, aligning worker protections with economic efficiency and industrial growth. They introduce standardised definitions, consolidated compliance mechanisms, digital record-keeping, and broader social security coverage, while also attempting to make labour markets more flexible for enterprises.

As India moves towards full-scale implementation, the implications of these reforms become profound. Stakeholders—including workers, employers, HR professionals, industries, labour law practitioners, academicians, and policymakers—must understand the philosophical foundation of the Codes, the practical challenges they introduce, and the real-life transformations they will trigger in workplaces across sectors.

In this evolving context, the National Seminar organised by the Faculty of Law, TS Mishra University seeks to provide a comprehensive academic platform for dialogue. It aims to decode key provisions, analyse legal and socio-economic implications, and equip stakeholders with the conceptual clarity needed to navigate the emerging world of work. The seminar recognises that labour law is not only a legal subject but also a socio-economic instrument that influences productivity, industrial peace and human dignity.

Rationale of the Seminar

The need for this seminar arises from the rapidly changing socio-economic landscape in India and across the globe. The introduction of the new Labour Codes coincides with several transformative trends:

a. Rapid Globalisation and Technological Advancements

Industries today operate in a globally competitive environment, shaped by supply chain integration, digital processes, and rapid technological innovation. Automation, artificial intelligence and digital platforms are redefining employment patterns, creating both new opportunities and new vulnerabilities. Labour laws must therefore evolve to protect workers while supporting innovation and competitiveness.

b. Rise of Gig, Platform and Informal Work

Employment structures have shifted significantly, with millions of Indian workers now engaged through digital platforms such as food delivery apps, ride-sharing services, freelancing portals and e-commerce logistics. These workers often fall outside the purview of traditional labour regulations. The new Codes attempt to recognise and extend social security to them, raising important questions about definitions, rights, responsibilities and implementation mechanisms.

c. Ease of Doing Business & Economic Reform Priorities

India’s push to improve its business environment demands streamlined regulatory processes, predictable compliance requirements, and reduced bureaucratic hurdles. The new Codes seek to balance business flexibility with worker welfare, an equilibrium that requires careful legal interpretation and practical preparedness across industries.

d. Workforce Diversification & Demographic Shifts

India’s labour force is becoming more diverse with increasing participation from women, differently-abled persons, migrant workers, fixed-term workers, and remote workers. Labour laws must address the unique challenges and vulnerabilities associated with each category.

e. Judicial and Public Policy Demand for Transparency & Protection

The judiciary has consistently emphasised fairness, non-exploitation, and due process in labour matters. Simultaneously, public discourse increasingly demands equity, safety, and humane working conditions.

While the new Codes promise consolidation and modernisation, they also raise critical concerns:

• Are worker rights adequately protected under more flexible industrial relations rules?
• How will employers adapt to new compliance structures?
• Will dispute resolution mechanisms reduce pendency and increase access to justice?
• Can gig workers truly access social security benefits?
• How will ambiguities in definitions be interpreted by courts and enforcement agencies?

These questions underscore the need for scholarly discussion, evidence-based critique and capacity-building, all of which this National Seminar aims to address.

Objectives

The seminar is designed to achieve the following comprehensive objectives:

1. Develop a Holistic Understanding of the Four Labour Codes

Participants will gain insights into the conceptual foundations, structural changes, and policy intentions behind the Codes. The seminar aims to demystify complex legal provisions and highlight the transformation from earlier fragmented laws to unified regulations.

2. Assess the Reconfiguration of Rights, Duties and Compliance

The seminar will examine how everyday workplace rights—wages, safety, dignity, working hours, benefits—are reshaped. It will also address the evolving legal responsibilities of employers, HR departments and compliance professionals under the new regulatory framework.

3. Identify Transitional Challenges & Sector-Specific Impacts

Different industries such as manufacturing, logistics, services, IT, construction, and platform-based businesses will face distinct challenges. The seminar will analyse these transitional issues and explore strategies to address compliance, documentation, audits, inspections and litigation risks.

4. Explore New Dispute Resolution Mechanisms

The Codes introduce changes to labour courts, tribunals, conciliation processes and grievance committees. The seminar will discuss these mechanisms, the role of ADR, and how digitalisation may improve or challenge access to justice.

5. Study Emerging Categories of Workers

A major goal is to understand the legal position of gig and platform workers, fixed-term employees, home-based workers, and remote workers. The seminar will analyse how the Codes attempt (or fail) to integrate these workers into formal legal protection frameworks.

6. Examine the Impact of Technology and AI on Labour Governance

The seminar will delve into the implications of digital surveillance, algorithmic management, data-driven hiring, and automated decision-making. It will also explore the growing concerns over privacy, data protection, and workplace autonomy in the AI era.

7. Promote Interdisciplinary Dialogue and Future-Oriented Research

By bringing together legal scholars, economists, HR experts, policy analysts and industry leaders, the seminar aims to foster interdisciplinary learning and encourage research that supports policy innovation, academic development and labour justice.

Themes and Sub-Themes

Theme 1: The Architecture of Labour Law Reform in India

Sub-Themes:

1. Evolution of Labour Law in India: From Fragmented Legislation to Consolidated Codes
2. Objectives & Philosophy Behind the Labour Code Reforms
3. Structural Transformation: What Has Been Merged, Repealed and Re-written
4. Centre–State Relations & Federal Challenges Under the New Regime
5. Global Models of Labour Code Simplification: Lessons for India
6. Transitional Challenges for Employers, Labour Officers & Courts

Theme 2: Enhancing Worker Welfare Under the New Regime

Sub-Themes:

1. The Code on Wages: Uniform Definitions, Equality, Minimum Wages & Payment Rules
2. Compliance with “Wage” Definition: Salary Structuring, Allowances & Litigation Issues
3. Social Security Code: PF, ESI, Gratuity, Maternity Benefits, Gig Worker Funds
4. Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions: New Standards & Inspections
5. Fixed Term Employment: Rights, Benefits & Judicial Trends
6. Contract Labour, Inter-State Migrant Workers & Unorganized Workforce Integration

Theme 3: Balancing Efficiency, Worker Protection & Industrial Peace

Sub-Themes:

1. Trade Union Recognition, Rights & New Rules for Collective Bargaining
2. Standing Orders, Codes of Conduct & Employer Obligations
3. Threshold Changes: Layoffs, Retrenchment & Closure Rules
4. Strikes & Lockouts: Redefined Procedures & Legal Consequences
5. Disciplinary Proceedings: Due Process, Natural Justice & Documentation
6. Role of IR in the Future Workplace: Remote Work, Hybrid Models & Digital Monitoring

Theme 4: Modernising Labour Courts, Tribunals and Grievance Redressal

Sub-Themes:

1. New Structure of Labour Courts, Industrial Tribunals & National Industrial Tribunal
2. Grievance Redressal Committees: Functioning, Time Limits & Compliance
3. Mediation, Conciliation & Alternative Dispute Resolution in Labour Law
4. Digitalisation of Proceedings, e-Filings & Procedural Reforms
5. Practical Issues: Burden of Proof, Documentary Evidence & Workplace Records
6. Landmark Judicial Trends Shaping Labour Dispute Resolution in India

Theme 5: Rights of Workers in a Digital and Decentralised Economy

Sub-Themes:

1. Who Is a “Gig” & “Platform” Worker? Understanding Legal Definitions
2. App-Based Labour: Delivery Partners, Cab Drivers, Freelancers & AI-Dependent Work
3. Social Security Fund for Gig Workers: Implementation Challenges
4. Algorithmic Management: Ratings, Data, Transparency & Worker Autonomy
5. Contractual Challenges & Disputes in Platform-Based Work
6. Future of Collective Bargaining & Unions Among Gig Workers
7. Comparative Models from EU, UK, USA & Asia

Theme 6: AI, Robotics, Workplace Surveillance & Legal Transformation

Sub-Themes:

1. Automation & Its Impact on Employment Patterns
2. AI-Based Hiring, Performance Evaluation & Termination: Legal & Ethical Concerns
3. Data Privacy at the Workplace: Rights of Employees & Duties of Employers
4. Remote Work Policies: Timings, Monitoring, Cybersecurity & Digital Misconduct
5. Skill Development, Upskilling & Reskilling in the Post-Automation Economy
6. The Future of Labour Law: Anticipating Reforms Beyond the 2020 Codes
7. Creating an Inclusive Workforce: Disability Rights, Gender Equity & Safe Workplaces

Who can Submit?

We cordially invite academicians, seasoned professionals, dedicated practitioners, emerging research scholars, inquisitive students both enrolled in undergraduate or masters’ courses from all academic disciplines and engaged stakeholders to contribute to a vibrant intellectual exchange.

Guidelines for Submission

1. The Article must be submitted in English only, not exceeding 4000-5000 words (Including footnotes).
2. Co-Authorship up to only two members is allowed.
3. The abstract must be submitted in MS Word (.doc or .docx) format only not exceeding 300 words. Each abstract must contain a cover page inclusive of the following details:
4. Name(s) of the author(s),
5. Contact number(s) of the author(s)
6. Institutional affiliation
7. Email ID
8. Designation
9. A maximum of 5 keywords are to be provided along with the abstract.
10. The article must be the original work of the authors. The article published elsewhere or selected/ submitted for publication elsewhere/ failing in our plagiarism check systems and procedures shall lead to immediate disqualification.
11. The organizers reserve the right to cancel/disqualify any of the entry if found in violation of the guidelines for Submission.
12. In all matters related to the Competition, the decision of the Panel and T. S. Mishra Law School shall be final and conclusive.
13. All the Articles must be sent by email to [email protected] with the subject line “Submission for National Conference 2026”
14. The body of the e-mail must specify the author’s Name, Address, e-mail id, Contact number and name of the College/University.
15. The article should not contain names or any other marks which reveal the identity of the author.
16. The article must be attached in ‘.doc’ or ‘.docx’ format.

Formatting Guidelines

1. The article should be typed in Times New Roman, Font Size 12 and Line Spacing 1.5, justified.
2. The footnotes must be typed in Times New Roman, Font Size 10 and Line Spacing 1.
3. The margin on each side shall be 2.54 cm i.e. 1 inch
4. All submissions must follow the Bluebook 20th Edition/APA Styling for Citation

Top articles may also be published in the form of an edited book bearing an ISBN depending on the quality of the article.

Mode of Conference

Hybrid (offline/online)

Students

• INR 600 (For single authorship)
• INR 500 (For each co-author in co-authored paper)

Research Scholars

• INR 700 (For single authorship)
• INR 600 (For each co-author in co-authored paper)

Academicians

• INR 1000 (For single authorship)
• INR 900 (For each co-author in co-authored paper)

For the payment procedure, refer page 13 of the brochure.

Important Dates

• Registration start date: 4^th December, 2025
• Last date of registration and abstract submission: 28th January, 2026 [Extended from Jan 15th]
• Intimation of Selected Abstract: 31st January, 2026
• Last Date of full paper submission: 3rd February, 2026
• Date of Seminar: 8^th February, 2026

Registration Procedure

Click Here To Register.