CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LAWS (CRLEL)
The Centre for Research in Labour and Employment Laws (“CRLEL”), established at National Law University, Jodhpur under the visionary leadership and guidance of Prof. (Dr.) Harpreet Kaur, Vice-Chancellor, NLU Jodhpur, seeks to advance scholarship, policy engagement, and legal awareness in the field of labour and employment laws. The Centre is headed by Dr. Mahendra Soni, Associate Professor at NLU Jodhpur, who has been appointed as the Centre Director.
Conceived as a multidisciplinary platform for academic research, policy analysis, and advocacy, the Centre is committed to fostering meaningful engagement with contemporary labour and employment issues. Recognising the rapid transformation of labour relations in India due to economic reforms, technological developments, the rise of gig and platform economies, and the implementation of the four Labour Codes, the Centre aims to serve as a leading forum for interdisciplinary dialogue and practical engagement on labour law and policy.
The Centre seeks to bridge the gap between academia, policymakers, industry stakeholders, labour organisations, and civil society groups in order to contribute meaningfully to labour jurisprudence and social justice. With a special focus on evolving labour dynamics in India, CRLEL aspires to strengthen legal awareness, policy development, institutional capacity-building, and evidence-based labour governance.
Key Objectives
The major objectives of the Centre for Research in Labour and Employment Laws include:
- To conduct interdisciplinary research on contemporary developments in labour and employment laws at the national and international levels.
- To critically examine the implementation and impact of the four Labour Codes and other labour law reforms on different categories of workers.
- To promote awareness and academic engagement on issues concerning informal labour, gig and platform workers, migrant labourers, occupational safety, social security, and workplace equality.
- To undertake policy-oriented research and publish analytical reports, working papers, policy briefs, and scholarly publications on labour law and industrial relations.
- To bridge the gap between academia, policymakers, labour organisations, industry experts, and students through collaborative initiatives and capacity-building programmes.
- To organise training programmes, workshops, and legal awareness initiatives for trade unions, labour welfare bodies, government agencies, and industrial establishments.
- To foster student engagement through internships, fieldwork, research assistantships, moot court competitions, and experiential learning opportunities.
- To contribute to evidence-based policy discourse and legal reform in the field of labour and employment laws.
Initiatives by the Centre for Research in Labour and Employment Laws
- The Centre for Research in Labour and Employment Laws actively promotes research, policy engagement, and practical learning through academic discussions, workshops, conferences, and interdisciplinary collaborations on labour and employment issues.
- One of the Centre’s major initiatives has been the successful organisation of the International Symposium on Labour & Employment Laws, 2025 on the theme “Labour Laws in the Digital Era”, organised by CRLEL, National Law University, Jodhpur in collaboration with Khaitan & Co., Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), International Labour Organization (ILO), and the National Labour Law Association (NLLA). The symposium brought together academicians, policymakers, labour law practitioners, industry experts, and trade union representatives for discussions on contemporary labour law reforms, digitalisation, platform work, and the future of labour regulation in India.
- The symposium witnessed participation from eminent resource persons and institutions, including Dr. Elena Gerasimova, representative from International Labour Organisation, Eminent Prof. (Dr.) B. T. Kaul, Prof. (Dr.) Devinder Singh, Dr. Yogendra Srivastava, Dr. Jeet Singh Mann, Mr. Kingshuk Sarkar, and Mr. Deepak Kumar, Partner at Khaitan & Co among others. The Centre also engaged with leading trade unions including INTUC, AITUC, HMS, and NCL, thereby strengthening dialogue between academia and worker communities.
- CRLEL regularly undertakes analytical studies and updates concerning important judgments, legislative developments, labour policy reforms, and contemporary developments in labour and employment jurisprudence through our Social Media channels on LinkedIn and Instagram.
- The Centre Director, Dr. Mahendra Soni, filed an Intervention Application before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in State of U.P. v. Jai Bir Singh (C.A. No. 897 of 2002), currently being heard by a 9-Judge Constitution Bench concerning the interpretation of the term “industry” under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The matter raises significant questions concerning the applicability and scope of labour and industrial relations laws in India.
- The Centre has also contributed to international academic engagement in labour law discourse. Dr. Mahendra Soni represented the Centre at the ETUI Future of Work Conference 2026 held in Brussels, organised by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). The conference focused on issues relating to artificial intelligence, digitalisation, platform work, collective bargaining, and the future of labour governance in the digital economy.
- In furtherance of legal awareness and capacity-building, CRLEL seeks to organise workshops, certificate courses, training programmes, and public dialogues concerning labour law compliance, workplace equality, social security, industrial relations, occupational safety, and gig and platform work.
- The Centre also aims to conduct field-based research projects focusing on contract labour, informal sector workers, migrant labourers, factory workers, and gig workers, particularly in Rajasthan and other emerging labour economies.
- To encourage academic engagement and public discourse, the Centre intends to publish research papers, policy briefs, blogs, working papers, and a dedicated journal focusing on labour and employment laws.
- CRLEL further aspires to collaborate with academic institutions, government bodies, international organisations, law firms, labour unions, and civil society organisations to contribute to labour law reform, policy advocacy, and evidence-based governance.
- The Centre remains committed to fostering rigorous research, meaningful policy contributions, and socially engaged scholarship in the field of labour and employment laws.
Centre’s Core
Shalu Meena (Convenor), Ishaan Banga (Co-Convenor), Ananya Navin Dipali (Secretary), Anand Shankar (Joint Secretary), Ajay Kumar Choudhary (Research Head), Abhitha Nakka & Devanshi Agarwal (Social Media & Outreach Heads)
MEMBERS
Advik Vijayvargiya, Anukalp Agrawal, Konika Meena, Neha Ann Jijo, Samiksha Tiwari, Stanzin Iga, Vijendra Fulwariya, Akshat Pal, Deepanshu Ghasle, Lavanya Wadhwa, Rishi Kala, Sanaya Jhunjhunwala, Tanishq Shivanand, Vinayak Sharma, Akshita Saxena, Kavya Tibrewal, Madhav Krishna Agnihotri, Ronit Agrawal, Samridhi Goyal, Udai Mittal, and Yashika Jain.
