The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has issued a press release highlighting various initiatives aimed at ensuring the welfare and security of unorganized urban workers across the country. The announcement reiterates the government’s multi-pronged strategy to generate employment, offer social security, and monitor poverty levels through data-backed frameworks.
🛠️ Key Welfare and Employment Schemes
The central government is currently implementing a range of employment generation schemes/programmes, with full details available on the Directorate General of Employment portal.
These programmes aim to support migrant, informal, and daily-wage workers in urban areas who often lack stable income and job security.
🌐 National Career Service (NCS) Portal
The Ministry of Labour & Employment has developed the National Career Service (NCS) portal (www.ncs.gov.in) as a digital one-stop solution for job seekers. The portal provides:
- Job listings from private and public sectors
- Notifications for online and offline job fairs
- Career counselling and vocational guidance
- Information on skill development and training programmes
This platform is designed to bridge the information and access gap for urban unorganized workers seeking better employment opportunities.
👵 Old Age Pension Scheme: PM-SYM
To secure old age benefits for workers in the informal sector, the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) scheme was launched in February 2019.
Highlights of PM-SYM:
- Voluntary and contributory pension scheme
- Assured monthly pension of ₹3,000 after 60 years of age
- Self-enrollment via www.maandhan.in
This scheme aims to cover gig workers, daily-wage labourers, street vendors, and others in the informal sector.
📊 Measuring Urban Poverty: Multidimensional Poverty Index
In collaboration with NITI Aayog, the Government has adopted the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to assess poverty beyond income, by factoring in multiple deprivations.
MPI Features:
- Covers 12 indicators across health, education, and standard of living
- Two India-specific indicators added: Maternal Health and Bank Account access
- Based on global MPI developed by UNDP and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI)
- Latest edition released in 2023
This index helps policymakers identify regions and populations, including urban unorganized workers, that are most in need of targeted welfare interventions.
🧭 Conclusion
Through a combination of digital employment services, pension schemes, and scientific poverty measurement, the government is laying a structural foundation for the long-term welfare of unorganized urban workers. As urbanization continues to rise, such initiatives are crucial in ensuring economic inclusion and social protection for India’s most vulnerable labour force.