Chapter XI - Contract labour

Reviewed by CA Nikhil Gupta · Last reviewed 30 August 2026

Chapter XI, Part I — Contract labour. This guide connects sections 45–58 to provision-level analysis, subordinate law, forms, evidence and practical action without duplicating or paraphrasing the statutory text as a substitute for the official source.

Sections 45–5814 provisionsReviewed 28 July 2026

Legal-use control: determine the event date, commencement notification, appropriate Government, saved legacy instrument and State overlay before relying on a Central Code or Rule.

Chapter XI - Contract labour in 2 minutes

What this module does

It converts the chapter or statutory Part into a navigable provision map, with each legal proposition owned by its individual section page.

What it does not do

It does not replace India Code, the Gazette, a State instrument, a Scheme, a judicial decision or a prescribed form.

Primary decision

Choose the correct provision only after fixing coverage, legal period, jurisdiction, worker status and the relevant transaction.

Evidence standard

Maintain transaction-level records showing the trigger, responsible actor, time, decision, communication and acknowledgement.

Decision path

Test principal-employer, contractor, establishment and worker coverage.
Map licence, work order, wage, welfare and migration controls.
Reconcile contractor records with principal-employer oversight evidence.
Open the individual section page, then verify the exact provision and linked instrument from the official source before implementation.

Provision map

Provision	Subject	Rules and forms
Section 45	Applicability of this Part	Rule 85, Rule 86, Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 92, Rule 93, Rule 94, Rule 95, Rule 96, Rule 97, Rule 98, Rule 99, Rule 100, Rule 101Forms: No direct prescribed form identified
Section 46	Appointment of designated authority	Rule 85, Rule 86, Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 92, Rule 93, Rule 94, Rule 95, Rule 96, Rule 97, Rule 98, Rule 99, Rule 100, Rule 101Forms: No direct prescribed form identified
Section 47	Licensing of contractors	Rule 85, Rule 86, Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 92, Rule 93, Rule 94, Rule 95, Rule 96Forms: Form XXI, Form XXII
Section 48	Procedure for issue or renewal of licence	Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 96Forms: Form XXI, Form XXII
Section 49	No fees or commission or any cost to workers	Rule 85, Rule 86, Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 92, Rule 93, Rule 94, Rule 95, Rule 96, Rule 97, Rule 98, Rule 99, Rule 100, Rule 101Forms: No direct prescribed form identified
Section 50	Information regarding work order to be given to the appropriate Government	Rule 94Forms: Form XXI
Section 51	Revocation, suspension and amendment of licence	Rule 95, Rule 96Forms: Form XXI, Form XXII
Section 52	Appeal	Rule 97Forms: No direct prescribed form identified
Section 53	Liability of principal employer for welfare facilities	Rule 86, Rule 93, Rule 98, Rule 99, Rule 184Forms: No direct prescribed form identified
Section 54	Effect of employing contract labour from a non-licenced contractor	Rule 85, Rule 86, Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 92, Rule 93, Rule 94, Rule 95, Rule 96, Rule 97, Rule 98, Rule 99, Rule 100, Rule 101Forms: No direct prescribed form identified
Section 55	Responsibility for payment of wages	Rule 98, Rule 99Forms: No direct prescribed form identified
Section 56	Experience certificate	Rule 100Forms: Form XXIII
Section 57	Prohibition of employment of contract labour	Rule 101Forms: No direct prescribed form identified
Section 58	Power to exempt in special cases	Rule 85, Rule 86, Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 92, Rule 93, Rule 94, Rule 95, Rule 96, Rule 97, Rule 98, Rule 99, Rule 100, Rule 101Forms: No direct prescribed form identified

Rules, forms and implementation

Rule map

Rule 100; Rule 101; Rule 85, Rule 86, Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 92, Rule 93, Rule 94, Rule 95, Rule 96; Rule 85, Rule 86, Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 92, Rule 93, Rule 94, Rule 95, Rule 96, Rule 97, Rule 98, Rule 99, Rule 100, Rule 101; Rule 86, Rule 93, Rule 98, Rule 99, Rule 184; Rule 87, Rule 88, Rule 89, Rule 90, Rule 91, Rule 96; Rule 94; Rule 95, Rule 96; Rule 97; Rule 98, Rule 99

Form map

Form XXI; Form XXI, Form XXII; Form XXIII

Central/State boundary

Central Rules apply only where the Central Government is the appropriate Government. State Rules, exemptions, authorities and portals must be checked separately.

Portal boundary

A successful portal submission proves a system transaction; it does not by itself establish coverage, entitlement, limitation compliance or legal correctness.

Employer and worker controls

Employer control

Assign a named owner, maker-checker review, due-date trigger, evidence repository and escalation path for each applicable provision.

Worker perspective

Record eligibility, notice, wage or benefit impact, safety or service conditions, available representation and the correct remedy forum.

Inspection readiness

Keep the coverage memo, registration/licence, policy, transaction record, notice, payment evidence, return and exception log together.

Dispute readiness

Preserve the applicable legal version, service dates, pleadings, witness/electronic evidence and later judicial treatment.

Evidence checklist

coverage and appropriate-Government memo
official provision and subordinate instrument
registration, licence or authority record
worker classification and engagement evidence
time-stamped transaction and communication
payment, benefit or safety record
maker-checker approval
exception and remediation record
State notification and portal evidence
judicial/litigation check where disputed

Finin2min Q&A

Can this chapter guide be used instead of the Code text?

No. Use it to identify the correct provision and control. Read the exact official text, Rules, notifications and applicable State material before reliance.

Does the Central Rule apply to every establishment?

No. First determine the appropriate Government and sector. State Rules or technical regulations may control the establishment.

What is the minimum defensible compliance record?

A dated coverage decision, source instrument, responsible actor, transaction evidence, approval, communication and exception/remediation trail.

Official sources

India Code — OSHWC Code, 2020
Read the exact provision and listed subordinate instruments.Ministry of Labour and Employment — Labour Codes library
Codes, Central Rules, notifications, corrigenda and implementation material.Finin2min provision repository
Section, Rule, form, transition, State, litigation and portal routes.

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