The developed countries of the world with better social and human development standards such as Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, The Nederland and Australia have a better social security system while the poor and developing countries such as India are still struggling to establish a developed universal social security system.
In recent time of post globalisation, it has been widely debated over State investment and public finance spending on social security and its impact on economy and role of emerging market forces but worldwide it is being understood that social security has a close link with the economic growth and the State has a major role in ensuring social security for all its citizens by adopting a universal social security policy beneficial to all.
Universal social security measures by the State are also required to build an inclusive democratic society. It ensures a sense of belonging among its citizens who feel that the society takes care of its people of all ages, classes and groups. The unwell, weak, poor, children, elderly and unemployed are always in need of special care and protection because of their vulnerability.
Our social culture and State policy should take care of all its vulnerable sections by ensuring material comfort and emotional support to live a dignified life without depending on others’ mercy. But in spite of constitutional mandate, our State social security policy has not been universalised to ensure social security for all people irrespective of their nature of employment.
The employees of organised sector in Government, private and semi Government jobs have a better retirement life while a majority of people who are in unorganised and informal sector have a very miserable life in their old age. They do not have a privilege of pension with dearness allowances. The provision of old age pension for them is very minimal and irregular which cannot provide a dignified and decent living.
They have to depend on private sources or on other earning family members for survival. In the absence of such a family support system many of them are pushed to begging and destitute conditions. Though depending on sons and daughters has been a tradition in our society but in recent time due to economic and demographic change, composition of family and migration from rural to urban areas in search of employment have contributed to the increasing burden of managing family with elderly people. which have been a chal The poor migrant workers are leaving their old and ailing parents at home in a very distress condition. There has been an increase in old age homes, beggars rehabilitation homes, orphanages and shelter homes for the deserted and destitute people in the State. It is reported that the condition of elderly people in rural areas has become worse in the absence of a proper social security mechanism.
The social security policy is not just a State sponsored charity but it is also closely linked to growth and has a direct impact on employment, production, work culture and quality of life of the people. It is the most integral part of the overall development of a society.The International Social Security Association, Geneva’s report on BRICS countries revealed that India has a very weak social security policy in comparison to Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa which have adopted international standards covering important areas such as medical, sickness, maternity, old age, invalidity, unemployment, employment injury and death.
The Allianz Global investor’s Pension Sustainability Index says India has one of the world’s weakest pension systems. Brazil has a major social security programme. The former Russian federation and China with a socialist principle have universal social security, State pension system and universal compulsory nature of social insurance. South Africa has a more inclusive social security policy that includes the excluded and marginalized groups.
The Russian federation had a good mother and childcare policy and its funeral grant provision has been continuing for a long time. It is argued that a good pension system, healthcare and social assistance are intended to reduce inequality and help in building a democratic society that ensures equality and stimulates economic growth.
The concept of equality and universality has been very much rooted in the Constitution of India. It has been mentioned in the Directive Principles of State Policy about the social security measures to be taken by the State but still most of the social security laws are limited to the organized sector workers and privileged few.
They have not been extended to informal sector workers while more than 90 per cent of the workers in India are in the informal sector and mostly in rural areas. The Unorganized Sector Social Security Act, 2008 has remained unimplemented to a large extent.
A vast majority of informal workers is in the agriculture sector. The income of one in five informal workers is below the poverty line. The workers in the agriculture sector are seasonally employed in backward States. The popular social security measures by the Government of India for the poor such as Indira Gandhi National Old age Pension Scheme, Rastriya Swsta Bima Yojana, Janashree Bima Yojana, Aam Admi Bima Yojana, Mid Day Meal, Targeted Public Distribution System, Annapurna, Antyodaya and conditional cash transfer etc have largely benefited the poor but these are very minimal and not available under one umbrella in the absence of an integrated and coherent social security policy.
The State has a major role in building social security infrastructure and developing social security administrative mechanisms. There are States such as Kerala which have done exemplary work in terms of benefiting the poor and vulnerable sections with State sponsored social security measures.
The States like Tamil Nadu ,Uttarakhand and Kerla have introduced pensions for agricultural labourers and farmers. The Tamil Nadu Agriculture Labourers -Farmers Social Security and Welfare Scheme has provisions of pension, education, marriage and maternity benefits. With a large presence of informal workers and marginalized social groups, Odisha has a very poor social security measure in comparison to other States in India.
Many of the social security schemes implemented in the State are mostly supported by the Centre and barring a few sectoral initiatives such as Madhubabu Pension Yojana and Construction Workers Welfare Scheme, Odisha has not yet developed any universal schemes out of its own fund.
(manasbbsr15@gmail.com)
