Gandhinagar, Sep 12: The inaugural cohort of the Executive Development Program on Labour Law and Social Security Compliance (EPFO at Core) concluded on Monday at Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) with a valedictory and certificate distribution ceremony.
Jointly developed by GNLU and the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS), the apex training academy of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the three-month executive programme brought together 60 industry practitioners for rigorous hybrid learning, practical case studies and written assessments.
The programme was conceptualised by Kumar Rohit, Additional Central PF Commissioner (HQ) and Director, PDUNASS, to address the persistent gap between classroom theory and practical enterprise compliance. The initiative seeks to foster a cultural shift in corporate governance—from defensive and reactive compliance to informed and ethical compliance.
The vision took institutional shape through sustained collaboration with Prof. (Dr.) S. Shanthakumar, Director, GNLU, whose academic leadership and commitment contributed significantly to establishing a specialised platform for social security education. Dr. Nitin Malik, Registrar, GNLU, provided proactive institutional facilitation and administrative support.
A key feature of the programme is its dynamic and evolving curriculum, designed to respond continuously to statutory reforms, technological advancements and changing workplace environments.
During the inaugural cycle, the curriculum was updated in real time to incorporate transition mechanisms under the Code on Social Security 2020, the revised EPF, EPS and EDLI scheme frameworks, and operational practices aligned with live EPFO digital portal workflows.
Launched on May 29, 2026, the programme commenced on June 5 and featured 23 interactive evening sessions led by 16 senior resource persons, including EPFO policymakers and legal academics. The programme culminated in a four-day campus immersion at GNLU from September 9 to 12, featuring practical compliance case studies and formal written evaluations.
The valedictory ceremony was chaired by Chief Guest Dr. Justice K. J. Thakar, Former Judge of the High Courts of Gujarat and Allahabad and Chairperson of Gujarat State Human Rights Commission.
Highlighting the constitutional and human dimensions of social welfare, Justice Thakar observed that provident fund legislation constitutes a foundational safety net for India’s workforce. Drawing upon his extensive judicial experience, he commended the joint institutional initiative and congratulated Kumar Rohit for identifying an important systemic need and translating it into an impactful executive education programme.
Addressing the participants, Kumar Rohit said: “This initiative is designed to drive a lasting cultural paradigm shift in enterprise governance—transitioning from defensive, checklist compliance to informed, ethical compliance. When compliance is executed with accuracy at the source, returns are clean, administrative friction dissolves, and social security entitlements reach the worker swiftly and with dignity. As the inaugural cohort, you carry the responsibility of being practitioners and ambassadors of this standard across India’s industrial landscape.”
Kumar Rohit expressed his gratitude to Prof. (Dr.) S. Shanthakumar for his vision and academic leadership; Dr. Nitin Malik for institutional facilitation; and Prof. (Dr.) Girish R., Head, Academic Affairs, GNLU, Dr. Asha Verma, Assistant Professor of Law and Dr. Hardik H. Parikh, Assistant Professor of Law and Programme Coordinator, for curating, coordinating and steering the programme, with sustained coordination support from Sudhanshi Sikarwar, Teaching and Research Associate (Law), GNLU.
He placed on record his appreciation for the guidance and support extended by the Advisory Board of the Executive Development Programme, comprising Amit Vashisht, Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner, and Regional Provident Fund Commissioners-I Uttam Prakash, Manoranjan Kumar, Prashant Sharma, Sanjay Kumar Rai and Ram Anand.
The ceremony was attended by senior officers, including Sudeepta Ghosh, Additional CPFC (Gujarat), and Manoranjan Kumar, RPFC-I, PDUNASS. Dr. Hardik Parikh presented the programme report, outlining its pedagogical outcomes and participant performance.
In view of the strong nationwide response to the inaugural programme, PDUNASS and GNLU announced that admissions for the second batch will open shortly.
