It is the prerogative of all members of the Parliament to introduce a Bill but it is only the Government Bills that are debated and have smooth passage in the Parliament. It is true that any member of Parliament can introduce a bill, as the Constitution allows bills to be introduced by ministers (Government Bills) or non-ministers (Private Members’ Bills) but the Government Bills typically receive priority, more debate time, and smoother passage due to party support and government machinery, while Private Members’ Bills face significant hurdles like limited discussion slots (usually Fridays) and low selection rates. Till date only 14 Private Members’ Bills have been passed by both Houses of Parliament and received Presidential assent since Independence.The last such bill was the Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Bill, 1968, enacted in 1970. Private Members’ Bills are rarely debated due to procedural constraints and time allocation favoring Government Bills. For instance, in the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-2024), 729 were introduced in Lok Sabha but only 2 discussed, and 705 in Rajya Sabha with 14 discussed; none passed. Recent sessions like the 18th Lok Sabha’s early sittings saw dozens introduced but zero discussed. Be it so, these Private Bills attract Public discussion and can often force the Government to consider bringing a suitable Government Bill.
When NCP MP Supriya Sule introduced the Right to Disconnect Bill in the Lok Sabha on December 6, 2025, she wasn’t launching a fringe idea. She was confronting a harsh reality that smartphone users in India live every day: work has infiltrated every corner of our existence, fueling widespread burnout. The bill grants employees a legal right to ignore work-related calls, emails, and messages outside official hours, without fear of reprisal. Companies with more than 10 employees must adopt clear written policies on after-hours communication. Violations could trigger fines up to 1% of a firm’s total payroll, enforced by a proposed Employees’ Welfare Authority. As a private member’s bill, its path to enactment is steep—only 14 such bills have passed since 1952—but its true power lies in igniting a national dialogue on boundaries we’ve long sacrificed.
Why This Bill Demands Action Now:
The tragic death of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil in Pune in July 2024, just four months into her role at Ernst & Young (EY), crystallized the crisis. Her family attributed her sudden passing to “overwhelming work pressure,” including long hours and isolation in a new city, sparking outrage across social media and prompting investigations into corporate overwork. Anna’s story isn’t isolated; it’s a symptom of a system where young professionals collapse under unrelenting demands. How many more tragedies—heart attacks at 35, mental breakdowns, fractured families—will it take before we act?
The data is damning and demands we listen. A 2024 Indepth survey revealed that 88% of Indian employees are routinely contacted about work outside office hours, with 85% interrupted even on sick leave or holidays. Alarmingly, 79% fear that ignoring these intrusions could derail their careers—missed promotions, tarnished reputations, stalled projects. In the IT sector, a 2025 Blind survey found 72% of professionals exceeding the legal 48-hour workweek, with 25% logging over 70 hours and 68% feeling compelled to respond to messages anytime.This isn’t dedication; it’s coercion masquerading as hustle, eroding lives under the guise of ambition.
The Imperative for Disconnection: Health, Equity, and Economics
A Public Health Emergency, Not a Perk
Perpetual connectivity isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a ticking time bomb for public health. Chronic interruptions disrupt sleep, amplify stress, and sever family ties, violating Article 21 of India’s Constitution, which enshrines the right to life with dignity. What dignity exists in midnight Slack pings that spike cortisol levels? The bill reframes disconnection as a fundamental right, not a luxury, backed by evidence linking after-hours work to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular risks.
Dismantling the Illusion of “Optional” Overwork:
In Indian workplaces, “optional” after-hours tasks are rarely voluntary. When 79% dread professional fallout from boundaries, those 11 PM emails are veiled ultimatums. The bill exposes this by mandating explicit contracts for availability, with overtime pay at standard rates for any agreed extensions. No more free labor disguised as loyalty—employers must compensate or respect the off-switch.
Smarter Business, Not Just Moral Imperative:
Skeptics fear talent flight, but data flips the script: 80% of Indian employers recognize that robust work-life policies curb attrition, which costs 1.5–2 times an annual salary per departure. Burned-out teams breed errors, stifle innovation, and slash productivity—rest fuels creativity, not grind. A 2025 TeamLease report projects up to 2.2 million IT exits by year-end due to exhaustion, underscoring disconnection as a retention powerhouse.
Catching Up to a Global Standard:
India lags while others lead. France’s 2017 “right to disconnect” law empowers workers to ignore off-hours digital demands. Australia followed in 2024 with enforceable boundaries for reasonable refusals. Portugal, Belgium, and Spain have similar protections, proving these aren’t anti-growth fantasies but proven safeguards. Why should Indian workers subsidize global competitiveness with their sanity?
Countering the Pushback: Myths vs. Reality-
“Essential Industries Can’t Afford It”
Healthcare and IT ops run 24/7—fair point. But the bill carves out compensated on-call duties, targeting gratuitous pings, not emergencies. Structure shifts, pay premiums: that’s labor basics, not overreach.
“Hustle Fuels India’s Rise”:
Echoes of Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour-week mantra or China’s grueling “996” model romanticize sacrifice as national duty. Yet productivity metrics prioritize output over input—rested minds innovate; fatigued ones falter. If our edge is faster workforce burnout, it’s a pyrrhic victory, not progress.
“Too Bureaucratic to Enforce”:
A new authority means red tape, disputes over “unreasonable” contact, and SME burdens—valid concerns. But minimum wage and safety laws weathered the same storms through iterative enforcement. Start strong, refine smartly; perfection isn’t the enemy of protection.
“Laws Won’t Shift Culture”:
Cynics say subtle pressures persist. True, but laws empower: they arm workers with recourse, compel audits, and normalize boundaries. France’s law didn’t erase toxicity overnight but slashed after-hours responses by 20% in two years. Culture follows codification.
Momentum Building: Voices from Workers, Unions, and X
Banking unions have rallied behind the bill on X, hailing it as a “game-changer” for negotiations. HR leaders and executives echo calls for opt-in rosters and role-specific flex, per recent posts. Since introduction, X buzz—from NCP’s wellness pitch to cross-party pleas—signals broad appetite. Even 93% of young workers prioritize balance over paychecks, yet firms cling to unpaid vigilance. This bill hands them leverage.
The Deeper Reckoning:
Passage odds are low, but the bill has already pierced the veil: What economy are we forging? One glorifying grind amid silent suffering, or one valuing humans over metrics? Where rest signals weakness, or renewal?
Flawed as it is—needing tweaks for exemptions and enforcement—the bill’s essence is unassailable: Workers aren’t expendable cogs. If enforcing humanity feels radical, indict the norms, not the cure. India deserves better than exhaustion as export. Let’s disconnect to reconnect—with lives worth living.
Inder Chand Jain
M: 8279945021
Email: [email protected]
