What are the current regulations in India for the production and sale of health and dietary supplements?5 answersIn India, regulations for health and dietary supplements are crucial due to the global expansion of the use of these products. However, challenges persist in ensuring their safety and efficacy. The country can learn from the experiences of other nations like the United States, the European Union, Japan, and China, which have officially launched regulatory science (RS) initiatives to enhance the evaluation of health-related products. These initiatives focus on developing new tools, standards, and guidelines to improve risk and benefit assessments of regulated products, allocating resources for staff training, advancing technology and infrastructure, and fostering scientific collaborations through public-private partnerships and research funding mechanisms. By adopting similar strategies and prioritizing safety assessments, India can strengthen its regulations for health and dietary supplements to ensure public health and safety.
What are the current challenges faced by global migration governance systems to regulate labour intermediaires?10 answersThe current challenges faced by global migration governance systems in regulating labor intermediaries are multifaceted and stem from a complex interplay of economic, political, and social factors. One significant challenge is the shift towards network governance, which has led to governments ceding considerable authority to commercial migration intermediaries. This shift has resulted in the emergence of soft employment regulation, where voluntary codes of conduct supplement enforceable legal standards, often at the expense of migrant workers' rights and public good. Additionally, the globalization of labor markets has exacerbated governance challenges, with transnational companies often exploiting individuals seeking work abroad, taking advantage of jurisdictional constraints and economic interests that limit states' capacity and political will to regulate effectively.
The lack of a coherent global system for regulating international labor migration further complicates these challenges. States retain the sovereign prerogative to determine entry and employment of non-nationals, leading to a fragmented approach that fails to address the human and social implications of labor mobility. Moreover, the current governance framework is criticized for being both insufficient and inefficient, with restrictive and non-cooperative migration policies having counterproductive effects on development in sending countries and generating costs for societies due to the lack of integration policies.
Efforts to address these challenges are further hindered by the instrumentalization of migration for development, premised on temporary migration schemes that curtail migrants' rights, and by systemic imperatives for mobility that overlook the welfare of people and the protection of their rights. The international and transnational dimensions of labor migration, including recruitment abuses and migration fees, underscore the need for a transnational regulatory architecture. Despite these obstacles, there are opportunities for enhanced cooperation and action at the global level to empower migrant workers, including through the mobilization of reforms by influential economic forumsand the reconsideration of migration management strategies.
What is the policy priority for India with regard to Migration?10 answersIndia's policy priority with regard to migration encompasses a multifaceted approach aimed at addressing both internal and international migration challenges, enhancing the socio-economic conditions of migrants, and leveraging the potential of the Indian diaspora. The sudden lockdown post-COVID-19 highlighted the vulnerabilities of internal migrants, underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive migration policy that includes the creation of a credible database through initiatives like the 'e-Shram Portal' to facilitate better policymaking and integration of migrants into development processes. The significance of internal migration, particularly temporary movements, is recognized for its implications on poverty reduction and meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), indicating a policy focus on managing internal migration flows to support the economically disadvantaged.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) represents a policy effort to curb rural-to-urban migration by providing rural employment; however, its effectiveness in arresting traditional migration patterns remains limited. Policies influencing migration also include rural development programs aimed at revitalizing rural lifestyles and discouraging interregional migration by developing new growth centres and implementing accommodationist policies such as mass housing for the poor.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further prioritized the need for a 'rights-based approach' to provide comprehensive care to migrants, including economic support and healthcare, suggesting a policy shift towards more inclusive support mechanisms. Despite not having a formal refugee policy, India's approach to refugees and asylum seekers has been proactive, indicating a policy direction towards institutionalizing successful home-grown approaches to manage refugee crises. The situational strategic contexts (SSCs) framework suggests that India's policy responses to conflict-generated migration are influenced by domestic-political and international-strategic priorities.
The Indian diaspora's socio-economic-political status in their adopted countries highlights the government's policy interest in leveraging the diaspora for India's development, indicating a strategic priority on maintaining strong ties with the diaspora for mutual benefit. Lastly, the vulnerabilities of low- and semi-skilled migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries during the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed gaps in India's migration governance, calling for policy interventions to make the migration policy architecture more 'migrant-centric'.
How are the minimum labour standards for migrant workers in India enforced?5 answersMinimum labour standards for migrant workers in India are enforced through a combination of labour regulations, enforcement intensity, and the role of regulatory institutions and intermediaries in the labour market. However, the existing wage regulations in India do not meet the standards adopted in peer countries and fall short of the recommendations in ILO Conventions. The enforcement of labour standards is complex and challenging due to the complexity of the laws and the difficulty in enforcement. Additionally, the lack of wage and employment security, as well as hazardous work conditions, are common issues faced by migrant workers in urban labour markets. The exploitation of migrant workers is often maintained through extra-legal and informal processes in urban labour markets. Overall, there is a need for improvement in the enforcement of minimum labour standards for migrant workers in India to ensure their rights and well-being are protected.
What does the UK have in terms of legislation for migrant workers?3 answersThe UK has implemented legislation to address the issue of decent work for migrant workers, particularly in the domestic work sector. However, there are inconsistencies and gaps in the implementation of these laws, which limit the access to work and remedies for irregularly present migrants. In 2011, the International Labour Organization (ILO) established Convention 189 on decent work for domestic workers, which aimed to extend basic employment rights to domestic workers, including migrants. However, UK employment legislation still excludes domestic workers from protection, and changes to migration rules in 2012 have further reduced their legal protections. Overseas domestic workers (ODWs) in the UK face additional challenges due to hostile immigration policies and exclusion clauses in employment law, which deny them the same protections and benefits as other workers. Overall, the UK's legislation for migrant workers is insufficient and fails to adequately protect their rights and well-being.
How can the state and union collaborate to improve labor migration?5 answersThe state and union can collaborate to improve labor migration by developing a common migration policy at the supranational level, with a focus on the regulation of labor migration. It is important to improve and develop programs for the integration and assimilation of migrants in host countries. Online platforms and tools, similar to the European Job Mobility Portal (EURES), can be developed to help potential migrants better integrate. Additionally, attention should be given to the implementation of European law at the supranational level, as some individual countries complicate administrative and bureaucratic regulation to reduce migration flow. By addressing these issues, the state and union can work together to bring the EU legal framework in line with the reality of migration regulation and improve labor migration outcomes.