Govt social security schemes cover over 64 pc of India's population: Mandaviya

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, on Thursday, highlighted India's transformative journey across poverty alleviation and social protection at the high-level round table and plenary session in Doha. 

At a side event hosted by NITI Aayog on "Pathways Out of Poverty: India's Experience in Empowering the Last Mile", the Union Minister showcased India's achievements in lifting nearly 250 million people out of multidimensional poverty and expanding social security coverage to more than 64 per cent of its population.

He underlined that women and children remain central to India's development vision, with more than 118 million schoolchildren receiving mid-day meals and millions of women mobilised into self-help groups driving grassroots entrepreneurship.

He also emphasised that India's digital revolution through the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile) has transformed welfare delivery, ensuring transparency and inclusion.

He highlighted that more than 14 million youth have been trained under the Skill India Mission and the new Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana will create another 35 million formal jobs.

Union Minister Mandaviya also took part in the Spotlight Session of the Global Coalition for Social Justice by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

He reiterated India's firm commitment to advancing social justice and responsible business conduct.

The Union Minister underlined that India has created more than 170 million jobs between 2017 and 2023, with unemployment declining from six per cent to 3.2 per cent and women's workforce participation nearly doubling.

In his address, Union Minister Mandaviya commended the ILO and the Global Coalition for fostering a global dialogue on social justice.

He said that India hosted the first Regional Dialogue on Social Justice in February 2025, where more than 21 organisations, including India's largest employers' federation and workers' union, pledged to join the Coalition.

The Union Minister also underlined India's robust social security ecosystem, with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) serving more than 78 million members and the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) providing health and social protection to 158 million insured persons and dependents.

He noted that the e-Shram platform, covering more than 310 million unorganised workers, enables seamless access to social protection and better policymaking.

Union Minister Mandaviya also held bilateral meetings with key global counterparts from Romania, Russia, Qatar, EU and ILO to strengthen cooperation in labour, skills and social protection.

In his meeting with ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, the Union Minister reaffirmed India's strong partnership with the ILO and appreciated its efforts in advancing a development-oriented global labour agenda.

Both sides discussed deeper collaboration in social protection, skills, and labour mobility, and welcomed the recent MoU on a feasibility study for an international classification of occupations.

--IANS

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