New Delhi, 6 March (IANS). According to the information given by Union Labor and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandavia, social security coverage in India has doubled from 24.4 percent to 48.8 percent.
Addressing the webinar organized on the ‘Investing in Peepal’ theme after the budget, Union Minister Mandavia underlined the government’s mission to provide skills and empower India’s youth to ensure that the country’s talent could have a global impact.
Citing ILO World Social Security Report 2024-26, he said, “India’s social security coverage has doubled from 24.4 percent to 48.8 percent.”
The Union Minister said that the expansion of the e -ram portal, which includes more than 30.67 crore unorganized workers and involving Gig workers under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), confirms the government’s commitment to workforce welfare.
He said that the government has also integrated 12 major welfare schemes under the e-program and made the portal available in 22 Indian languages, which will help the families of the workers.
“Ten new ESIC medical colleges have been approved and 10 more are planned to be approved,” he said.
The Union Minister highlighted the roadmap of India developed by 2047 and said that investing in people is not just an economic decision, but a social, moral and cultural commitment for an educated, healthy and strong society.
Underlining the success of employment, Talking about the initiatives, Union Minister Mandavia said that “17.1 crore jobs were born between 2014-24, out of which 4.6 crore jobs were born last year”.
On the other hand, the Union Minister said that “the unemployment rate has declined a great decline, which has come down from 6 percent to 3.2 percent in 2023-24 in 2017-18.”
He said that during the same period “women’s employment has also increased strongly, which has increased from 22 percent to 40.3 percent”,
He credited these achievements to the progressive policies of the government.
Meanwhile, Secretary (Labor and Employment) Sumita Davra highlighted the major progress in the modernization of the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), including enrollment of more than 6.2 crore new members in six and a half years.
He also referred to reforms such as Centralized Pension Processing System, PF Claim’s auto settlement and strong IT infrastructure.
-IANS
SKT/KR
