india

How Jharkhand is setting a precedent for universal social security in India: where there’s a will…

Submitted by pmassetti on
Development Pathways (27.01.2025) Who would’ve guessed that one of the boldest moves in designing social security benefits would come from—not even a country—but a state in India called Jharkhand? For those unfamiliar, Jharkhand is one of India’s poorest states,¹ nestled in the country’s eastern region, often making headlines for its mineral wealth rather than groundbreaking social policy. Yet here we are, talking about Jharkhand as the unlikely pioneer of what can only be described as a “‘Semi-UBI”: a universal basic income, but just for women aged 18 to 50.
Regions / Country
india
Global challenges

India: Will Budget 2025 extend benefits like social security to gig workers?

Submitted by pmassetti on
business-standard.com (21.01.2025) While the new Code on Social Security 2020 defines ‘gig and platform’ workers and outlines various welfare measures like life and disability insurance, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, and old-age protection, its non-implementation implies that millions of gig workers remain without any protection.   Labour Lawyer B C Prabhakar says that since the new labour codes are not yet implemented, it is pertinent that the government comes up with a holistic framework for the welfare of this bulging workforce in the upcoming budget.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Digital plateform workers
Document Type

India is formalising measures to protect the rights of gig and platform workers

Submitted by pmassetti on
ullekhnp.com (20.09.2024) The latest announcement from the Union labour ministry is that it has asked technology-based platforms and aggregators to get all gig workers engaged by them to register on the e-Shram portal, a centralised database of informal workers, where they can avail of health insurance and other facilities, including unemploy­ment benefits, maternity benefits, and accident injury coverage through the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). As of now, gig workers are eligible only for minimum social-security benefits.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Document Type

India: Government To Bring Gig Workers Under Social Security Net Via e-Shram Portal

Submitted by pmassetti on
swarajyamag.com (02.09.2024) The government will soon allow gig and platform workers to register on the e-Shram portal, ensuring they are covered under social security schemes, Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Sunday (1 September). Mandaviya highlighted that aggregators — companies that employ gig and platform workers — will be asked to take the lead in registering their workers on the portal.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Document Type

India: Govt mulls reworking migrant, gig worker definitions

Submitted by pmassetti on
hindustantimes.com (29.08.2024) The Union labour ministry is reviewing definitions of migrant and gig workers to enhance inclusivity and clarity, covering intra-state migrations and digital platforms.
Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Migration
Document Type

India: Regulatory Framework and the Protection of Basic Rights of Gig Workers

Submitted by pmassetti on

barandbench.com (16.05.2024) The gig economy, a burgeoning sector, represents a paradigm shift in traditional employment models, offering flexibility and autonomy to workers across various industries. Despite its benefits, the sector's rapid growth, particularly in urban India, has highlighted significant regulatory gaps, especially concerning the protection of gig workers' basic rights. The informal nature of gig work, mediated through digital platforms, poses unique challenges in ensuring fair labour practices and safeguarding workers' rights.

Regions / Country
india
Topics
Platform workers
Digital plateform workers
Document Type

Divided Directions: India's varied roadmap for governance of platform workers

Submitted by pmassetti on

The Financial Express (02.05.2024) India has made remarkable progress in expanding social security through the groundbreaking Code on Social Security-2020 (CoSS 2020), positioning itself as a pioneer in this field. This legislation stands out for its acknowledgment of platform workers and extending universal social security to them. Furthermore, under India’s leadership, the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration has prioritised the goal of ensuring adequate social protection and decent working conditions for platform workers under the overarching theme of “The Future of Work”.

Regions / Country
india
Digital plateform workers
Document Type

The Future of India’s Social Safety Nets: Focus, Form, and Scope

Submitted by pmassetti on

cornell.edu (05.02.2024) The Future of India’s Social Safety Nets: Focus, Form, and Scope explains how an array of social welfare programs (comprising the safety net) have emerged as a leitmotif of social policy in independent India and explores the key challenges and scope for innovations in redesigning India’s social safety net system for the future. This open-access book provides a comprehensive analysis of India’s safety net by combining insights from a wealth of interdisciplinary scholarship on economic development, social protection, and the social policy process.

Regions / Country
india
Global challenges
Topics
Programme evaluation
Programme & evaluation
Document Type

India: Interim Budget 2024: Gig workers to get social security fund, says report

Submitted by pmassetti on

India Today (29.01.2024) The proposed fund, outlined in the Social Security Code of 2020, represents a significant move towards providing universal social security for a wide range of workers.

Regions / Country
india
Digital plateform workers
Document Type

Reforming India’s public works scheme raised incomes

Submitted by pmassetti on

voxdev.org (30.10.2023) Improving the payment infrastructure for India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme raised incomes — mostly through increases in non-programme earnings India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is among the largest and most influential social programmes in the world, guaranteeing 100 days of paid work to 8% of the world’s population. The programme was designed as a vital lifeline to India’s poor, tasked with smoothing income in agricultural off seasons and providing “employment of last resort” in the face of unforeseen economic hardship.

Regions / Country
india
Topics
Biometrics
E-services
Service delivery
Document Type