THE KARNATAKA GOVERNMENT recently released a draft Bill on domestic work (‘Bill’) for public feedback and comments. Since Independence, several attempts, mostly through private members’ Bills, have been made to introduce a comprehensive central law to regulate domestic work. None, however, have materialized. In the absence of central legislation, several state governments stepped in to incrementally regulate the sector. States like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Odisha included domestic work under “scheduled employment” under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, ensuring minimum wage protection.
Others, such as Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, established welfare boards to provide social security benefits. If enacted, Karnataka will be the first state with a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for domestic workers in India.
At first glance, the Karnataka government’s move to regulate a sector that has long operated outside the reach of labour laws is laudable. Yet, a closer reading of the draft reveals significant inconsistencies—particularly in its provisions on social security—which risk undermining the legislation’s effectiveness. For the Bill to achieve any meaningful success, it will require refinement before enactment.
