Average Daily Wages

Once called a "monument of failure" of the UPA government by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) was one of the flagship schemes launched during the Manmohan Singh government's first tenure, and it proved to be a lifeline for rural workers during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. Launched in 2005, the MGNREGS was one of the first major schemes brought by the Manmohan Singh government, which at that time had Left parties supporting it. The UPA government had then described it as a "landmark in our history in removing poverty from the face of the nation". The National Advisory Council (NAC) chaired by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, which had several social activists and experts in an advisory role to the prime minister, also played a key role in shaping the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) based on the "Right to Work". The MGNREGA aims at enhancing the livelihood security of rural households

It reveals a worrying surge in crush injuries among women, with cases increasing from 19 in 2019 to 321 in 2024

The survey, which was conducted among 1,396 worker groups, adding up to 8,023 people that included 4,836 women and children, showed that 76 per cent of the workers had less than Rs 200 left with them

Trade unions slam decision, employers welcome it, saying it was absolutely necessary especially in absence of grants from govt to industry for wage payment

In the last few days, the restlessness of the migrant workers has spilled into the streets in major cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, and Surat.

"The government lacks the fiscal space. It will not be feasible to give grants to the industry to take care of its wage bills," sources said.

Over 90 per cent of low-income households are employed in the informal sector, and they will be the hardest hit by the pandemic

The low-skilled profession is paid only 60% of the average earnings