UGC NET/JRF EXAM, September-2024 Labour and Social Welfare

Under the Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, the authorities covered include the Central Board, a Board of Trustees, State Boards, and an Executive Committee, excluding the Advisory Committee.

The Central Board of Trustees administers the Employees' Provident Fund, and each member state can have its State Board and a Board of Trustees for managing and controlling the fund within their jurisdiction. The Executive Committee, formed from the Central Board, executes the decisions of the Board.

The Advisory Committee, not explicitly mentioned in the Act as having administrative powers or duties concerning the provident fund scheme, is primarily advisory and does not hold administrative responsibilities like the others.

Matching the principles of labour welfare with their explanations, 'Adequacy of wages' aligns with workers having a right to adequate wages, which is central to ensuring fair compensation for labour.

'Social responsibility of industry' corresponds to the industry's obligation towards its employees, including looking after their welfare, reflecting a broader social contract between labour and capital.

'Repersonalisation' emphasizes the development of human personality, a goal of labour welfare that seeks to view workers as individuals with potential beyond their labour contributions.

'Coordination' points to the idea 'that coordinated efforts between various stakeholders in industry can promote healthy development of workers, ensuring comprehensive welfare and growth.

Cyclical unemployment is directly related to the economic cycles of boom, recession, depression, and recovery. During periods of economic downturn, such as a recession or depression, demand for goods and services declines, leading to a reduction in production.

Consequently, businesses lay off employees, increasing unemployment. This type of unemployment fluctuates with the economy's health and is specifically tied to economic cycles, distinguishing it from structural, frictional, or seasonal unemployment, which have different causes and characteristics.

According to the Inter-state Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, a displacement allowance must be paid by the contractor to every Inter-state Migrant Workman at the time of recruitment. This allowance is calculated as fifty percent of the monthly wage payable to the workman or seventy-five rupees, whichever is higher.

This provision is designed to compensate the workman for the inconvenience and potential financial burden of displacement due to migration for employment, ensuring a minimum financial safety net upon beginning a new employment role in another state.

Classical theories of wages include the Subsistence theory, the Standard of Living theory, and the Wage fund theory. The Subsistence theory, advocated by David Ricardo and other classical economists, suggests that wages naturally gravitate towards the level of subsistence required to sustain the life of the worker.

The Standard of Living theory argues that wages are based on the standard of living to which workers historically and culturally are accustomed. The Wage fund theory, introduced by John Stuart Mill, proposes that at any given time, an employer's fund for wages (wage fund) is fixed, and wages depend on the size of this fund and the number of workers employed.

These theories provide foundational economic insights into the determinants of wage levels from historical and theoretical perspectives.

The process of staffing in an organization primarily involves manpower planning, selection, and training and development. Manpower planning refers to the process where an organization ensures that it has the right number of people and the right kind of people at the right place and at the right time, to achieve its planned objectives.

This step is crucial for identifying staffing needs and planning to meet those needs. Selection involves choosing the best candidate for the specified job based on criteria established during manpower planning, ensuring that the selected individuals are best suited to fulfill the organizational goals.

Training and development is a key component of staffing, aiming at improving the performance and capabilities of employees. Division of activities and defining authority and responsibility, although important organizational functions, are more related to organizational structuring and management than to staffing per se.

Expatriates often suffer from cultural shock during the period of their assignment abroad. Cultural shock refers to the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes.

For expatriates, this can occur when they move to a new country with different social norms, languages, and daily practices, which significantly differ from their home country. This phase can challenge their psychological and emotional well-being as they adjust to the new environment, understand new cultural cues, and copе with the loss of familiar support systems.

Recognizing this, many organizations provide cultural training and support to help expatriates and their families adjust more effectively to their new surroundings.

Under the Factories Act, 1948, the Certificate of Fitness issued by a certifying surgeon to an adolescent worker shall remain valid for a period of twelve months. This certification is crucial as it attests to the health, fitness, and suitability of the adolescent to perform certain tasks that may be demanding or hazardous.

The annual renewal requirement ensures regular health assessments, helping to monitor any changes in the physical condition of the worker that might affect their ability to safely perform their duties.

According to the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, a worker is required to present his application for less payment of wages before the claim authority within six months from the date on which the minimum wages to which he is entitled become payable.

This time frame is established to ensure timely recourse and resolution of wage-related grievances while maintaining administrative feasibility in handling claims. It provides a balance between giving workers enough time to recognize and act upon a wage discrepancy and preventing the accumulation of outdated or unverifiable claims.

The OCTAPACE culture in HRD is characterized by certain key elements that define a specific organizational culture aimed at fostering effective human resource development. OCТАРАСЕ stands for Openness, Confrontation, Trust, Authenticity, Proactivity, Autonomy, Collaboration, and Experimentation.

Openness involves an open atmosphere where employees feel free to express their ideas and feelings. Collaboration refers to working together cooperatively towards common goals. Authenticity is about being genuine and honest in one's dealings within the organization. Confrontation in this context means tackling problems directly rather than avoiding them.

These elements are designed to create a work environment that supports personal and professional growth, encourages innovation, and facilitates effective problemsolving and decision-making. The provided options exclude elements like Technology, which is not part of the OСТАРАСЕ acronym, focusing instead on attitudes and behaviours crucial to organizational dynamics and HRD.