Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Parochial law: On Haryana’s 75% quota to locals in private sector

Parochial law: On Haryana’s 75% quota to locals in private sector

States need to implement labour rights uniformly and not rely on (पर निर्भर होना, भरोसा करना) protectionism (संरक्षणवाद)

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has done the right thing by quashing (मिटा देना) the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020 (On January 15, 2022, the Haryana government notified the ‘Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020’. The law provided for 75% of the new employment to be given to local candidates for jobs having a salary of less than ₹30,000 per month in various privately managed companies, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms, partnership firms, etc. situated in Haryana) that provides for 75% reservation (आरक्षण) to State domiciles (निवास स्थान) in the private sector in jobs that provide a monthly salary of less than ₹30,000. The court stated that it was beyond the purview (limits, bounds, ambit, extent, range, scope) of the State to legislate (कानून बनाना) on the issue and restrict private employers from recruiting people from the open market (a market with no regulatory barriers, such as taxes, licensing requirements, and government subsidies). It also held that the Act was violative (उल्लंघन, अतिक्रमणात्मक) of equality guaranteed under Article 14 and freedom under Article 19 of the Constitution. The court said that by allotting 75% reservation for “locals”, the Act militates (work against, go against, be detrimental to, resist, hinder/oppose) against the rights of citizens of the rest of the country, and that such acts could lead to (result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to, produce) other States coming up with similar enactments (passage, passing, ratification adoption, authorization, validation (of a bill into a law)), in effect (वास्तव में) putting up (build, construct, raise, erect, set up) “artificial walls” throughout India. It argued that the Act was imposing unreasonable restrictions on workers’ right to move freely throughout the territory of India. The court termed the requirements (provision, proviso, clause, condition, stipulation, term) on private employers stipulated (formulate, lay down, frame, prescribe, promulgate) in the Act as akin (similar, related, comparable, parallel, connected with) to those under “Inspector Raj (excessive regulation/supervision by the government)”.

Other States such as Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand have also enacted similar legislation (विधान). The Andhra Pradesh High Court observed (say, remark, comment, mention, state, pronounce) that the State’s Bill (A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament in the forms of Bills (or) draft statute/law, proposed legislation, proposal (presented to parliament/congress/council for discussion)), passed in 2019, “may be unconstitutional (असंवैधानिक)”, but it is yet to hear the case on merits (an essential inherent quality (rights and wrongs only) while evaluating a case (not by external aspects)). Workers move to other States seeking job opportunities that are relevant to their skills and abilities. If States build walls and impose restrictions that prevent job seekers (aim, try, attempt) from other States from accessing opportunities, citizens of poorer States will have to eke out (to obtain something with difficulty and effort; cope, manage, fare, get along, get through, survive) a living within their own regions. This will affect the economy of the entire country. While legislation that seeks to reserve (आरक्षित करना) blue collar jobs for locals is problematic and unconstitutional, there is a reason why there is resentment (नाराज़गी) among locals in better-off (in a more desirable or advantageous position; rich, wealthy, affluent, well-to-do, opulent, well off) States over their jobs being taken up by “migrant (प्रवासी)” workers and which has compelled their governments to come up with (propose, present, put forward, suggest, think up, recommend introduce, bring forward) knee-jerk (automatic, instinctive, involuntary, mechanic, mechanical, spontaneous, hasty, unconscious, unthinking, unintentional, unplanned, unprepared) protectionist (relating to an economic policy where a country imposes restrictions like tariffs, quotas, and subsidies to shield its domestic industries from foreign competition) measures. There are more than a few private employers who exploit (take advantage of, make use of, utilize, capitalize on, cash in on) the migrant labour market as such workers tend to (lean, incline, move, gravitate, be drawn) work long hours for low wages with little or no social protection (it is a set of policies and programmes designed to reduce and prevent poverty and vulnerability during our lives. It ensures access to health care and income security for all. It provides for you and your family when you’re sick, unemployed, injured, pregnant or too old to work. It provides support for your family in case something happens to you) and benefits. This creates a segmentation (division/separation into a different parts) of the labour market with low-wage migrant workers on the one side and local workers with better bargaining power (the relative ability of parties in a situation to exert influence over each other) on the other. If States are truly concerned about protecting workers’ rights, they should ensure that migrant workers in all establishments (firm, company, office, enterprise, organization, industry, factory) enjoy basic labour rights that are legally due (deserved by, merited by, warranted by, appropriate to) to them, thereby (as a result of that) creating a level playing field (a situation in which everyone has a fair and equal opportunity to succeed, and no one has an advantage over the other) for all workers. This will also be a curb (restriction, constraint, restraint, limitation) on exploitative (unprincipled, unethical, immoral, dishonest, fraudulent) practices by employers. Protectionism in the labour market is not the answer.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.parochial (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकीर्ण
English Meaning - narrow-minded, small-minded, inward-looking, short-sighted, myopic, introverted, illiberal, hidebound, intolerant.

2.rely on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - पर निर्भर होना, भरोसा करना
English Meaning - depend on, trust, believe in, turn to, lean on, bank on, count on.

3.protectionism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संरक्षणवाद
English Meaning - it is an economic policy where a country imposes restrictions like tariffs, quotas, and subsidies to shield its domestic industries from foreign competition.

4.quash (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मिटा देना
English Meaning - cancel, reverse, rescind, overrule, repeal, annul, nullify, negate, disallow, invalidate, abolish.

5.reservation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरक्षण
English Meaning - a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, and politics.

6.domicile (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निवास स्थान
English Meaning - a person’s permanent residence. In law, domicile is the status of being a lawful permanent resident in a particular jurisdiction (territory/region).

7.legislate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - कानून बनाना
English Meaning - make laws, make laws, enact laws, formulate laws, lay down laws, prescribe.

8.violative (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन, अतिक्रमणात्मक
English Meaning - subjected to violation (breach, contravention, infringement, breaking, non-observance).

9.The Constitution of India (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भारत का संविधान
English Meaning - India, also known as Bharat, is a Union of States. It is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Republic is governed in terms of the Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th January, 1950.

10.in effect (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - वास्तव में
English Meaning - in actual fact, effectively, virtually, practically.

11.legislation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विधान
English Meaning - law, decree, statute, rule, ordinance, act.

12.unconstitutional (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - असंवैधानिक
English Meaning - undemocratic, autocratic, dictatorial, totalitarian.

13.reserve (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आरक्षित करना
English Meaning - retain, hold, secure, keep (a right or entitlement).

14.resentment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नाराज़गी
English Meaning - anger, bitterness, disgruntlement, irritation, displeasure.

15.migrant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवासी
English Meaning - a person who moves from one region to another - either within a country or across national borders in order to find work or better living conditions.

16.Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020 (noun)

English Meaning - On January 15, 2022, the Haryana government notified the ‘Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020’. The law provided for 75% of the new employment to be given to local candidates for jobs having a salary of less than ₹30,000 per month in various privately managed companies, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms, partnership firms, etc. situated in Haryana.

17.purview (noun)

English Meaning - limits, bounds, ambit, extent, range, scope.

18.open market (noun)

English Meaning - a market with no regulatory barriers, such as taxes, licensing requirements, and government subsidies.

19.held past tense of hold (verb)

English Meaning - rule, decide (a verdict).

20.Article 14 of the Constitution of India (noun)

English Meaning - It states that “The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.”

21.Article 19 of the Constitution of India (noun)

English Meaning - Article 19 deals with Right to Freedom (Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc.). These include the freedom of speech and expression, freedom of assembly without arms, freedom of association, freedom of movement throughout the territory of our country, freedom to reside and settle in any part of the country of India and the freedom to practice any profession. All these freedoms are subject to reasonable restrictions that may be imposed on them by the State, listed under Article 19 itself.

22.constitution (noun)

English Meaning - body of law; system of rules; regulations, fundamental principles, charter.

23.militate (against) (verb)

English Meaning - work against, go against, be detrimental to, resist, hinder/oppose.

24.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to, produce.

25.come up with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - propose, present, put forward, suggest, think up, recommend introduce, bring forward.

26.enactment (noun)

English Meaning - passage, passing, ratification adoption, authorization, validation (of a bill into a law).

27.put up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - build, construct, raise, erect, set up.

28.requirement (noun)

English Meaning - provision, proviso, clause, condition, stipulation, term.

29.stipulate (verb)

English Meaning - formulate, lay down, frame, prescribe, promulgate.

30.akin (adjective)

English Meaning - similar, related, comparable, parallel, connected with.

31.Inspector Raj (noun)

English Meaning - excessive regulation/supervision by the government.

32.observe (verb)

English Meaning - say, remark, comment, mention, state, pronounce.

33.Bill (noun)

English Meaning - A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament in the forms of Bills (or) draft statute/law, proposed legislation, proposal (presented to parliament/congress/council for discussion).

34.merits (noun)

English Meaning - an essential inherent quality (rights and wrongs only) while evaluating a case (not by external aspects).

35.seek (verb)

English Meaning - aim, try, attempt.

36.eke out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to obtain something with difficulty and effort; cope, manage, fare, get along, get through, survive.

37.blue-collar workers (noun)

English Meaning - it describes people who do manual work. Workers who work in a factory, for example, who wear a uniform.

38.white-collar workers (noun)

English Meaning - people who work in offices, doing administration or managerial tasks - clerks for example - were referred to as white-collar workers.

39.better-off (adjective)

English Meaning - in a more desirable or advantageous position; rich, wealthy, affluent, well-to-do, opulent, well off.

40.take up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - engage in; occupy, use; adopt, get.

41.knee-jerk (adjective)

English Meaning - automatic, instinctive, involuntary, mechanic, mechanical, spontaneous, hasty, unconscious, unthinking, unintentional, unplanned, unprepared.

42.protectionist (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to an economic policy where a country imposes restrictions like tariffs, quotas, and subsidies to shield its domestic industries from foreign competition.

43.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, move, step.

44.exploit (verb)

English Meaning - take advantage of, make use of, utilize, capitalize on, cash in on.

45.tend to (verb)

English Meaning - lean, incline, move, gravitate, be drawn,

46.social protection (noun)

English Meaning - it is a set of policies and programmes designed to reduce and prevent poverty and vulnerability during our lives. It ensures access to health care and income security for all. It provides for you and your family when you’re sick, unemployed, injured, pregnant or too old to work. It provides support for your family in case something happens to you.

47.segmentation (noun)

English Meaning - division/separation into a different parts.

48.bargaining power (noun)

English Meaning - the relative ability of parties in a situation to exert influence over each other.

49.establishment (noun)

English Meaning - firm, company, office, enterprise, organization, industry, factory.

50.due (adjective)

English Meaning - deserved by, merited by, warranted by, appropriate to.

51.thereby (adverb)

English Meaning - as a result of that.

52.a level playing field (phrase)

English Meaning - a situation in which everyone has a fair and equal opportunity to succeed, and no one has an advantage over the other.