Social Security

e-Shram database now a 'One Stop Solution' for unorganised workforce

According to various estimates, there are roughly 500 million unorganised workers in the country

How e-Shram portal could transform social security, labour market landscape

The government is working on integrating welfare schemes across ministries into a single portal for unorganised sector workers to access, as well as for private firms to tap into for labour needs

ESIC medical council approves convergence of ESI scheme with AB-PMJAY

Employees' State Insurance Corporation's (ESIC) Medical Benefit Council on Friday approved convergence of ESI scheme with Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY to enhance healthcare accessibility to beneficiaries. The decision to converge the two schemes was taken at 86th Meeting of Medical Benefit Council held at ESIC headquarters here, a labour ministry statement said. Ashok Kumar Singh, Director General (DG), ESIC chaired the meeting. Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is the largest health assurance scheme in the world which aims at providing a health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 12 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 55 crore beneficiaries) that form the bottom 40 per cent of the Indian population. The council also approved the implementation of the Common Support Mission (CSM) for states. The CSM aims to improve and strengthen ESI's medical service delivery system in sates with focus on the IP (insured persons) centric ...

Social security policy for gig, platform workers under process: Mandaviya

Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said a policy for providing social security benefits like pension and health services to gig and platform workers is under process. Talking to reporters, the minister said Niti Aayog has estimated 65 lakh gig and platform workers in the country, but the number is likely to be over two crore as this segment is growing very fast. He explained that the service sector is moving very fast to platforms for ease of consumers and expanding their operations. About different provisions of the Social Security Code for gig and platform workers, he said, "We cannot deprive them of their rights till the implementation of the Code. We have to bring a policy before that". About the timeline for bringing the policy, he said the ministry wants to bring the policy at the earliest. "I want to do a lot of things before the next budget," he said. Earlier in the day, the minister chaired the meeting of representatives of various associations and union

Social security agreement with US to take time, says Piyush Goyal

According to the minister, the social security coverage details that have been shared with the US cover about 930 million people in India

Centre asks platform aggregators to register workers on e-Shram portal

Registration on the e-Shram portal is essential for workers to benefit from various social welfare programmes, said Union Ministry of Labour & Employment

Rahul posts video of interaction with DTC employees, highlights 'injustice'

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday highlighted the issues being faced by DTC employees and said those who make the journey of lakhs of passengers smooth everyday have only gotten injustice in return. Sharing a video of his interaction with Delhi Transport Service (DTC) employees last week and a bus ride he undertook, Gandhi said on X that the DTC employees are asking the government that if they are permanent citizens, why are their jobs temporary. "A few days ago, after a pleasant bus ride in Delhi, I interacted with DTC employees and got to know about their daily routine and problems," the former Congress chief said in his post in Hindi. "No social security, no stable income and no permanent job - contractual labour has reduced a job of great responsibility to a state of compulsion," he said. While drivers and conductors are forced to live in the darkness of uncertainty, the home guards who are constantly deployed for the safety of passengers have been ..

Govt finally awoken to need for national law for gig workers' welfare: Cong

The Congress on Monday took a swipe at the government after it stated that it is committed to extending social security benefits to gig workers, saying it has "finally awoken" to the need for a comprehensive national law for such workers' welfare and that it is welcome to borrow from its policy on this urgent issue. The opposition party's remarks came a day after Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the government is actively exploring various avenues to ensure gig and platform workers are covered under social security. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the government has "finally awoken" to the need for a comprehensive national law for welfare of gig workers. The Congress and Rahul Gandhi took this issue up aggressively during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, and the Congress governments in Karnataka and Rajasthan have already legislated to provide gig workers with rights and protection, Ramesh said on X. It was also a key pillar of the party's Paanch

Female workforce, employee welfare to drive inclusive growth: Labour secy

Decriminalization of labour laws, increasing female workforce participation, social security, labour welfare will drive inclusive growth in the country, a senior government official said on Thursday. Secretary for Ministry of Labour & Employment Sumita Dawra made the remarks at an industry interaction organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Employers' Federation of India (EFI) in Bengaluru. In the session attended by 200 industry members, "Sumita Dawra...highlighted about the Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business reforms introduced by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, GoI. She emphasised on decriminalization of labour laws, increasing female workforce participation, social security, labour welfare that will drive inclusive growth in India," a CII statement said. Dawra also mentioned on employment, an improving trend is evidenced by PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey) & KLEMS data, besides EPFO net subscribers have gone up by more than 6 crore since ..

Trump biggest threat to health, welfare programmes: Harris campaign

Former US president Donald Trump, who is also the Republican presidential nominee, is the biggest threat to health, welfare and social security programmes, the rival Harris campaign alleged Tuesday. A second Trump term would undo nearly 60 years of progress in helping low- and middle-income Americans access the quality, affordable health care they need, the Harris campaign said in a statement. Donald Trump is the biggest threat to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security since their inception. He tried cutting Social Security and Medicare every single year he was in office, Harris for President spokesperson Ammar Moussa said. There is only one candidate in this race who will protect and expand earned benefits programmes that millions of Americans rely on Vice President Harris, Mossa said. According to the Harris campaign, Trump and his extreme Project 2025 allies will do everything in their power to gut these programmes because they've come out and said it. Trump proposed cuts to

Insurance: A social security product

A lifeline in times of crises

Country needs national social security architecture for gig workers: Cong

Citing legislations by its state governments to ensure justice for gig workers, the Congress on Thursday said India needs a national legal and social security architecture for such workers and hoped that the forthcoming Union Budget will take a step in that direction. Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh said the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024 is a landmark rights-based legislation that brings formal rights and social security to platform-based gig workers in the state. The Karnataka Government last month released a draft of the proposed Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2024 aimed to protect their rights in the state with creation of a board, welfare fund and grievance cell among other mechanisms. Ramesh listed some of the features of the bill such as establishing the gig worker's social security and welfare fund and gig workers welfare board to advocate for gig ...

Worker groups demand social security fund for unorganised workers in Budget

The matter was also discussed with the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday as central trade unions made representations as part of the pre-Budget consultation

Khandu approves Rs 100 cr under CM's Social Security Scheme in Arunachal

Hours after being sworn in, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday signed his first official document, approving the release of Rs 100 crore under the Chief Minister's Social Security Scheme (CMSSS) which will benefit approximately 80,000 people across the state. The CMSSS, a state flagship programme, provides pensions to elderly persons above 60 years, widows, and divyang jan (differently abled). "Considering the fact that preparations for the state budget has been delayed due to the general elections, it is necessary that the benefits under CMSSS reach the needy beneficiaries at the earliest," he said. Guided by the principles of Antyodaya, the state government is dedicated to the most vulnerable and marginalised sections of society, an official communiqu said. In the last financial year, Rs 90 crore was allocated under the scheme benefiting 56,030 elderly persons, 8,782 widows and 3,950 differently abled. The Khandu government had launched the scheme in 2019 a

Govt should create centralised authority for gig workers, says report

The report consulted with 10 platforms having nearly 4.5 million workers and a total revenue of Rs 56,400 crore along with two workforce providing platforms

Govt has taken various measures to enhance social security net: Khattar

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said the state government has taken various measures to enhance the social security net for people. While presenting the budget for 2024-25 in the Assembly, Khattar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the 'Old Age Samman Allowance' and related pensions are now Rs 3,000 per month, higher than Rs 1,000 in December 2014. The provision for social security pensions has been increased from Rs 1,753 crore in 2013-14 constituting 3.2 per cent of the total budget expenditure to Rs 10,971 crore in FY 2024-25, constituting 5.78 per cent of the total budget expenditure, he said. The total number of beneficiaries is now over 31.51 lakh increasing from 22.64 lakh in December 2014, said Khattar. "We have taken the government to the doorstep of the beneficiary with the implementation of the 'Old Age Samman Allowance', 'Divyang Pension', and widower pension for those above the age of 40 years and have been widowed and unmarried pension fo

Nagaland govt employees protest, demand restoration of old pension scheme

A large number of government employees in Nagaland took to the streets on Friday, demanding scrapping of the new pension scheme' and restoration of the earlier system. State government employees recruited after 2010, the year the new pension scheme was implemented, converged at the civil secretariat junction here under the aegis of the Nagaland National Pension System Government Service Employees' Forum (NNPSGSEF). NNPSGSEF president Moanungsang said the peaceful dharna was held to stand in solidarity with the national strike organised by the All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF). He said the forum had submitted a representation to the state government in September 2023, but there has been no response. NNPSGSEF said the old pension scheme provided social security to employees with guaranteed life-time reasonable pension. However, the new scheme does not provide social security and guarantees lower pension per month to long-surviving pensioners, it claimed.

EPFO recommends 8.25% interest rate on employees' provident fund for FY24

The previous high level of EPF interest rate was at 8.5% in 2019-20

Odisha CM raises pension for beneficiaries under social security schemes

In a relief for the distressed people covered under various social security schemes, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday announced a hike of Rs 500 each in their monthly pension. As many as 36.75 lakh beneficiaries would receive the revised amount from February. Each of them will receive the minimum enhanced amount between February 20 and 25, a release issued by the CMO said. The beneficiaries include elderly, widows, persons with disabilities, unmarried women, AIDS patients, transgenders, orphan children and widows of COVID victims. In 2008, the state government introduced the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) after merging two old schemes of the 1980s. Under the MBPY scheme, beneficiaries up to 79 years of age were eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 500, while those beyond 80 years Rs 700 per month. Similarly, beneficiaries with 60 per cent or more disability and above 80 years of age were eligible for a monthly pension of Rs 900. They will now get Rs 1,000, Rs 1,20

EPFO fixes 8.25% interest rate on employees' provident fund for 2023-24

Retirement fund body EPFO on Saturday fixed a three-year high interest rate of 8.25 per cent on employees' provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2023-24. In March 2023, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had increased the interest rate on EPF marginally to 8.15 per cent for 2022-23 from 8.10 per cent in 2021-22. In March 2022, EPFO had lowered the interest on EPF for 2021-22 to an over four-decade low of 8.1 per cent for its over six crore subscribers, from 8.5 per cent in 2020-21. This was the lowest since 1977-78, when the EPF interest rate stood at 8 per cent. "The EPFO's apex decision making body Central Board of Trustees (CBT) has decided to provide 8.25 per cent rate of interest on EPF for 2023-24 at its meeting on Saturday, a source said. The 8.5 per cent interest rate on EPF deposits for 2020-21 was decided by CBT in March 2021. After the CBT's decision, the interest rate on EPF deposits for 2023-24 will be sent to Ministry of Finance for concurrence. After th