NEW DELHI, July 31 -- India's social protection systems now cover about 101 crore people, or 68.8 per cent of the population, Union Labour & Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday, adding that the achievement was acknowledged by the International Labour Organization (ILO) at the BRICS Labour Ministers' meeting last week.
Speaking at the FICCI-AIOE 4th Global Industrial Relations Summit, organised by the All India Organisation of Employers (AIOE) in association with FICCI and the ILO, Mandaviya said employment generated per percentage point of GDP growth has increased from 0.1 per cent 12 years ago to 1.15 per cent in the latest data, reflecting a sharp improvement in employment elasticity.
He attributed the progress to a collaborative industrial relations framework involving industry, government, trade unions and workers, and credited employers and trade unions for supporting the implementation of the four labour codes.
The minister also said reforms in the Employees' State Insurance Corporation were on the anvil, including empanelling well-run private hospitals under the scheme. He added that the EPFO has shifted to fully digital claims and automatic account transfers through a single Universal Account Number (UAN), while UPI-based withdrawals are under consideration.
Michiko Miyamoto, Director of the ILO DWT for South Asia and Country Office for India, congratulated India on crossing one billion people covered under at least one social protection benefit. She called for greater investment in human capital, AI literacy, continuous reskilling and higher female workforce participation.
AIOE President Jasbir Singh said industrial relations must drive productivity and competitiveness, while FICCI Director General Jyoti Vij highlighted the impact of technology, demographics and geopolitics on the future of work.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.