Call For Submissions | NLU Ranchi’s Labour Desk [Volume II]: Rolling Submissions!

About National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL)

National University of Study and Research in Law is a National Law University located in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. It was established by a legislative act, by the State of Jharkhand as the fourteenth National Law University of India.

About the Opportunity

The Centre for Labour Law and Research (CLLR), National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi invites submissions for Labour Desk, Volume II.

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Following the successful conclusion of Labour Desk, Volume I, Volume II seeks to continue the Centre’s engagement with contemporary developments in labour and employment law. While the previous edition explored diverse issues concerning the changing nature of work, including the rights of gig and platform workers and the transition from the erstwhile labour-law regime to the newly introduced Labour Codes, this edition will focus extensively on the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH Code).

Theme: Occupational Safety And Hazard

The second volume will examine the OSH Code and the changing landscape of occupational safety, health and working conditions in India. The theme seeks to move beyond a purely textual examination of the Code and engage with its underlying objectives, legislative policy, implementation challenges and practical implications for workers and employers.

The volume aims to explore whether the OSH Code adequately responds to the occupational risks arising in both traditional and emerging forms of work. It will also examine the transition from the earlier legislative framework governing occupational safety and working conditions to the consolidated regime under the OSH Code, and consider whether this transition has strengthened, diluted or otherwise altered the protection available to workers.

Indicative Sub-Themes

The following themes are indicative and non-exhaustive. Authors may take inspiration from the suggested areas and develop their own arguments, perspectives and titles. Submissions are not restricted to the themes mentioned below, provided that they fall within the broader ambit of the OSH Code and occupational safety, health and working conditions.

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• Occupational safety and health in the changing workplace
• Occupational hazards and employer liability
• Gig and platform workers under the OSH framework
• Contract labour and fragmented employer responsibility
• Inter-State migrant workers and portability of protections
• Occupational safety of informal and unorganised workers
• Women workers and occupational safety
• Psychosocial hazards, workplace stress and mental well-being
• Heat stress, climate change and occupational safety
• Occupational diseases and long-term workplace exposure
• Safety standards in hazardous industries
• Mine, factory and construction-site safety
• Workplace accidents, fatalities and compensation
• Working hours, rest periods and the right to a safe workplace
• Registration, licensing and regulatory compliance under the OSH Code
• Inspection mechanisms and enforcement of safety standards
• Threshold-based applicability and its implications for worker protection
• Technology, automation and emerging occupational hazards
• Artificial intelligence, algorithmic management and workplace safety
• Remote work and the changing concept of the workplace
• Trade unions and workers’ participation in occupational safety
• Role and liability of employers, contractors and principal employers
• Constitutional dimensions of occupational safety and health
• Judicial interpretation of occupational safety obligations
• Comparative approaches to occupational safety and health
• Implementation challenges and the future of the OSH Code

These themes are merely suggestive. Authors are encouraged to identify emerging or under-explored issues and may write on any subject within the ambit of the OSH Code, including doctrinal, socio-legal, policy-oriented, empirical or comparative perspectives.

Submission Guidelines

• Word Limit: Submissions must be between 1,200 and 1,500 words, excluding hyperlinks, if applicable.
• Authorship: Co-authorship is permitted, subject to a maximum of two authors per submission.
• Citations: All sources must be hyperlinked within the submission. Footnotes are not permitted. Authors are expected to ensure that hyperlinks lead directly to the relevant source wherever possible.
• Way Forward: Every submission must contain a distinct “Way Forward” section. Authors must not merely identify or analyse the existing legal position. They are expected to provide their own considered recommendations, reforms, interpretations or solutions concerning the issue discussed.
• Originality: Submissions must be original and unpublished and should demonstrate substantive engagement with the chosen issue.
• Rolling Assessment: Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis. Each submission will be assessed as and when it is received. The Centre shall endeavour to communicate its decision regarding acceptance or rejection within one week of receipt.

The Centre encourages authors to move beyond a descriptive account of the OSH Code. Submissions should engage critically with the law and ask what the framework means in practice for workers, employers and the future of work.

Authors may question the assumptions underlying the Code, examine gaps in protection, analyse its interaction with emerging forms of employment, assess its implementation, or propose reforms that could make occupational safety and health protection more effective.

The objective of Labour Desk, Volume II is to create a platform for meaningful and accessible scholarship on the risks of work, the protection of workers, and the evolving legal architecture of occupational safety and health in India.

Submission Procedure

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Contact Details For Any Queries

• Akshat Kumar – 7033854678
• Kanu Priya – 7903123683
• Rahul Raj – 7764811882