National Law University, Jodhpur has undertaken a significant initiative in advancing labour jurisprudence and policy discourse with the establishment of the Centre for Research in Labour and Employment Laws (CRLEL). The Centre for Research in Labour and Employment Laws (CRLEL) at NLU Jodhpur has been conceived as a multidisciplinary platform and leading forum for academic research, policy analysis, and advocacy in the field of labour and employment laws. Committed to advancing scholarship, policy innovation, and social justice, the Centre places particular emphasis on addressing the dynamic challenges posed by the evolving global workforce and India’s position within it, while also shaping inclusive and equitable responses to emerging socio-economic realities.
A cornerstone of the Centre’s academic vision will be the establishment of a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to labour and employment laws. The journal will provide a platform for original scholarship, critical analysis, and interdisciplinary dialogue on contemporary labour issues in India and beyond. By featuring contributions from academics, practitioners, policymakers, and students, it aims to bridge research and practice while shaping debates on labour jurisprudence, social justice, and policy reform.
Its purpose extends well beyond academic research, aiming to create an ecosystem where intellectual inquiry, policy dialogue, and practical interventions converge. The Centre will publish a range of scholarly outputs, including policy briefs and research reports, to influence the discourse around labour reforms, while also developing a comprehensive digital repository of judgments, legislative updates, and commentaries to serve as an accessible knowledge base for academics, practitioners, and policymakers.
In addition, the CRLEL seeks to engage with pressing contemporary issues by organizing flagship conferences, national workshops, and public dialogues that bring together voices from law, industry, governance, and worker communities. A key aspect of its mission is to contribute to capacity building—both within institutions such as central and state labour enforcement agencies, PSUs, and corporate HR departments, and among vulnerable worker groups including informal sector workers, gig and platform workers, migrant labourers, and trade unions, through training sessions, legal awareness camps, and skill-development programs.
The Centre also places strong emphasis on student engagement, offering opportunities for research assistantships, editorial responsibilities, internships, legislative drafting competitions, and experiential fieldwork projects. By doing so, it will enhance employability and academic exposure for young scholars while nurturing the next generation of labour law experts.
CRLEL further aspires to function as a policy think tank, critically assessing the impact of the four Labour Codes and other legislative interventions, generating data-driven recommendations, and drafting model legislations and institutional frameworks in collaboration with labour law experts, economists, social scientists, and industry leaders. Its collaborative spirit is central to its vision, as it seeks to partner with premier academic institutions, bar associations, industry bodies, NGOs, and international organisations like the ILO, UN Women, and the Global Labour University.
Through these multifaceted initiatives, the CRLEL envisions itself as a centre of excellence that not only enriches legal scholarship but also bridges the gap between theory and practice. By combining rigorous academic inquiry with direct social engagement, it aims to influence labour reforms, empower vulnerable communities, and shape a more just and equitable labour ecosystem in India.
The establishment of the Centre has been made possible under the visionary leadership and guidance of Prof. (Dr.) Harpreet Kaur, Vice-Chancellor, NLU Jodhpur, whose support has been instrumental in realizing this initiative. The CRLEL will be headed by Dr. Mahendra Soni, Associate Professor at NLU Jodhpur, who has been appointed as the Centre Director.
For more details, contact:
Centre for Research in Labour and Employment Laws (CRLEL)
National Law University, Jodhpur
Email: crlel@nlujodhpur.ac.in
Phone: +91 79993 61131
