Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated a two-day international seminar titled “Formalization and Social Security Coverage for Workers in the Informal Sector: Challenges and Innovations” in New Delhi on January 20, 2025.
The seminar aimed to address the pressing issues faced by informal sector workers and explore innovative solutions to enhance their social security coverage.
Social Security for Informal Workers: Seminar Overview
The seminar brought together global experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss strategies and innovative solutions for improving social security access for informal sector workers.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in collaboration with the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA).
Dr. Mandaviya emphasized the importance of social security in ensuring that people, especially those from economically weaker sections, can meet their basic needs.
He highlighted that India’s social protection coverage has doubled from 24.4% to 48.8% over the last decade, benefiting nearly 920 million people under at least one social protection scheme.
He also mentioned that a free health insurance scheme covers 600 million Indians, offering up to ₹5 lakh in coverage and accepted at over 24,000 hospitals nationwide.
Addressing the Challenges and Union Minister’s Vision
Dr. Mandaviya pointed out that, given India’s size and demographic diversity, no other country has done as much as India in the past decade to improve social security for its citizens.
He stressed that even self-employed individuals should be provided with these measures.
The seminar included sessions on pathways and strategies to promote formalization and enhance social security coverage for vulnerable workers, including through incentives, digital solutions, and communication.
Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, lauded the government’s commitment to enhancing workers’ rights and social protection.
She emphasized the significance of the seminar, calling it the need of the hour.
Dr. Mohammed Azman, ISSA President, praised India’s exceptional progress, noting advancements in technology adoption, such as biometric enrollment and e-governance, which have set global benchmarks for transparency and efficiency.
Note: We are also on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google News, and YouTube, to get the latest news updates, Subscribe to our Channels. WhatsApp– Click Here, Google News– Click Here, YouTube – Click Here, and LinkedIn– Click Here.
