Lok Sabha Question No. 370 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Issue of Illegal Placement Agencies
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Anup Sanjay Dhotre

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 370 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## ISSUE OF ILLEGAL PLACEMENT AGENCIES

## 370.  SHRI ANUP SANJAY DHOTRE:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether the Government is aware that certain illegal placement agencies are operating in the country particularly in metropolitan cities without proper registration or regulatory compliance and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  action  against  such agencies which exploit minors from other States for domestic work and  fraudulently  extract  money  from  unemployed  youth  on  the pretext  of  providing  employment  and  if  so,  the  details  of  action taken including the number of such agencies identified, persons arrested  and  fines  imposed  during  the  last  three  years  and  the current year, year and State/UT-wise;
- (c)whether the Government had constituted a Committee earlier to examine the  issues  related  to  the  functioning  and  regulation  of placement agencies; and
- (d)if  so,  the  key  recommendations  of  the  said  Committee  and  the steps taken by the Government for their effective implementation?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (d):  The matter regarding regulations/repatriation of placement agencies lies in the domain of the respective States/UTs.

Ministry  of  Labour  &  Employment  has  launched  on 26 th August, 2021 the eShram portal which is a National Database of the Unorganised Workers, including domestic workers, seeded with Aadhaar. The portal has been made available to the States/ UTs for registration of various categories of unorganized workers on eShram

portal. The portal is meant to register and support the unorganized workers by providing them Universal Account Number (UAN)  on  a  self-  declaration  basis.  As  on  27.01.2026,  over  31.49 crore  unorganized  workers,  including  over  2.93  crore  domestic workers, are registered on eShram.

The State/UT Governments have been advised to regulate the functioning including registration of private placement agencies. Complaints relating to such agencies are dealt by respective State Governments/UT Administration under the provisions of BNS or other prevailing Acts under which such establishments are registered.

Committees had been constituted from time to time on the issues pertaining to private placement agencies and the Ministry has  issued  advisories  to  State  /  UT  Governments  to  take  all necessary steps to protect the interest of workers by regulating the conduct of private placement agencies.

The Unorganised  Workers' Social  Security  Act,  2008, subsumed in the Code on Social Security, 2020, provides for social security for unorganized workers including domestic workers.  In the Code on Social Security, 2020, the Central and State Governments are  mandated  to  formulate  suitable  social  security  and  welfare schemes for unorganized workers including domestic workers.

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