- Why in news
- On 17 September 2026, at the virtual Global Coalition for Social Justice Annual Forum (16–17 September), India took over co-chairmanship of the Coalition's Coordinating Group. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya set out three priorities.
- What it is
- The Global Coalition for Social Justice is a multistakeholder platform set up by the International Labour Organization. It brings governments, employers, workers, development banks, academia and civil society together to push decent work and social justice. It works through partner action and shared learning, not binding rules.
- Established by
- The Coalition was set up by the ILO in 2023 as a global platform for multistakeholder cooperation on decent work and social justice.
- Membership
- It has over 400 partners: governments, employers' and workers' bodies, international organisations, development banks, private sector, academia and civil society.
- India's role
- India assumes co-chairmanship of the Coalition's Coordinating Group, building on Brazil's leadership.
- Three priorities set by India
- Country-level action on commitments, more knowledge sharing and enterprise involvement, and social justice shaping development beyond 2030.
- ILO head
- The ILO is headed by its Director-General, currently Gilbert F. Houngbo, and has a tripartite structure of governments, employers and workers.
- Set up by
- The Coalition was established by the ILO, the UN agency for labour standards.
- Year of founding
- The Coalition dates from 2023.
- Purpose
- It aims to improve coherence, coordination and efficiency across the multilateral system.
- India's delegation
- MoS Shobha Karandlaje leads India's delegation to the 114th ILC in Geneva.
- ILO structure
- The ILO is tripartite: governments, employers and workers are represented. Its headquarters are in Geneva.
Don’t confuse with ILO vs the Coalition: The ILO is a UN agency founded in 1919 with binding conventions for ratifying states. The Coalition is a voluntary partnership launched by the ILO in 2023 and creates no binding obligations.
International bodies and relations: the largest group of news questions in Prelims (61 since 2013), often about background, members and location. In Mains, 27 news-triggered questions, mostly on India's interests.
Why it matters
- Gives India a leadership role on global labour and social protection issues, and a platform for South-South cooperation.
- Lets India showcase its Labour Codes, e-Shram and digital public infrastructure for social protection.
- Gives India a forum to shape global debate on decent work, social protection and fair labour markets.
Problems
- As a voluntary platform, it depends on partner commitment and has no enforcement power.
- The Coalition is voluntary, so commitments depend on partners' follow-through.
Way forward
- Turn commitments into country-level action in line with national priorities, with regular progress reviews.
- Link Coalition commitments to measurable national action on social protection and formal jobs.
Put in your answer
Social protection coverage: India's social protection coverage rose from 19% in 2015 to 68.4% in 2026, per the Minister.
Labour Codes: 29 central labour laws were consolidated into four Labour Codes, which also give legal recognition to gig and platform workers.
e-Shram: The e-Shram portal has nearly 320 million registered unorganised workers and links them to welfare schemes.
India's stated priorities: India said it will promote inclusive growth, strengthen social protection systems, support responsible business practices and foster international cooperation for equitable and resilient labour markets.
- 2024Mains GS1 · Q10Most productive collaboration between government, NGOs and private sector for socio-economic development?
- 2016Mains GS4 · Q3Analyse John Rawls's concept of social justice in the Indian context.
- 2019Mains GS2 · Q17Examine India's development process in light of inter-sector cooperation and partnership.
- 2018Prelims Q30Which subject do ILO Conventions 138 and 182 relate to?
- 2026Prelims Q64Which listed international conventions, including ILO ones, India has not ratified?
- 2026Prelims Q70Which listed UN organisations or agencies, including ILO, are correctly matched?
- 2026Prelims Q69Statements on binding versus non-binding multilateral consultative platforms on labour migration
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: International body with ILO link and India as co-chair. International bodies are 19% of Prelims, but the release gives few hard facts.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.