Lok Sabha Question No. 142 (STARRED), answered on 2023-02-13
Subject: Suicides by Daily Wagers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Su Thirunavukkarasar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 142 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2023

## SUICIDES BY DAILY WAGERS

*142. SHRI THIRUNAVUKKARASAR SU:

Will  the  Minister  of  LABOUR  AND  EMPLOYMENT  be  pleased  to state:

- (a)whether it is a fact that daily wagers are the largest group among those who have died by suicide during the last few years; (b)if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  number  of  cases  reported  in  the country during the last three years, year-wise; (c)whether  any  steps  are  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect the daily wage earners from suicides and to improve their livelihood; (d)if so, the details thereof; and (e)if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House. **                                                   ******

STATEMENT  REFERRED TO REPLY TO PART (a) & ( e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 142* FOR 13.02.2023 REGARDING 'SUICIDES BY DAILY WAGERS' RAISED BY SHRI THIRUNAVUKKARASAR SU.

- (a) & (b): The  profession-wise  number  of  suicides  committed  by people in the country during 2019 to 2021 is given at Annexure as per latest  published  data  till  year  2021,  received  from  National  Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
- (c) &(d): As per the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008, the Government is mandated to provide Social Security to the workers of  unorganised  sector  including  daily  wage  workers  by  formulating suitable welfare schemes on matters relating to (i) life and disability cover, (ii) health and maternity benefits, (iii) old age protection and (iv) any other benefit as may be determined by the Central Government.

The  Life  and  Disability  cover  is  provided  through  Pradhan Mantri  Jeevan  Jyoti  Bima  Yojana  (PMJJBY)  and  Pradhan  Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).  PMJJBY is available to the people in the age group of 18 to 50 years having a bank/post office account who give their consent to join/enable auto debit. Risk coverage under this scheme is  for  Rs.  2.00  lakh  in  case  of  death  of  insured,  due  to  any reason, at an annual premium of Rs. 436/- which is to be auto debited from  the  subscriber's  bank/post  office  account.  As  on  31.12.2022,  a total  of  14.82  crore  beneficiaries  have  been  enrolled  under  the scheme.

The Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) is also available  to  the  people  in  the  age  group  of  18  to  70  years  with  a bank/post  office  account  who  give  their  consent  to  join/enable  auto debit. The risk coverage under the scheme is for Rs 2.00 lakh in case of accidental death or total permanent disability and Rs. 1.00 lakh for partial  permanent  disability;  due  to  accident  at  a  premium  of  Rs.  20 per  annum  which  is  to  be  deducted  from  the  account  holder's bank/post  office  account  through  'auto-debit'.    As  on  31.12.2022,  a total  of  31.88  crore  beneficiaries  have  been  enrolled  under  the scheme.

The  Ayushman  Bharat-Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana (ABPMJAY) provides an annual health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per eligible family for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization corresponding to 1949 treatment procedures across 27 specialties. As on 4th December,  2022,  a  total  of  20.96  crore  beneficiaries  have  been provided with the Ayushman Cards.

In  order  to  provide  old  age  protection,  the  Government  of India  launched  Pradhan  Mantri  Shram  Yogi  Maan-Dhan  (PM-SYM) pension scheme in 2019. It provides monthly pension of Rs.3000/- after attaining the age of 60 years. The workers in the age group of 18-40 years whose monthly income is Rs. 15000/- or less and not a member of EPFO/ESIC/NPS (Govt. funded) can join the PM-SYM Scheme. Under this  scheme  50%  monthly  contribution  is  payable  by  the  beneficiary and equal matching contribution is paid by the Central Government. As on 30.01.2023, a total of 49.25 lakh beneficiaries have been enrolled under the scheme.

Apart from above, other schemes such as Public Distribution  System  through  One  Nation  One  Ration  Card  scheme under  National  Food  Security  Act,  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural Employment  Guarantee  Act,  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyay  Gramin  Kaushal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Gareeb Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan, Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana, Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, PMSVANidhi,  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  etc.  are  also available  for  the  unorganised  workers  including  labourers  depending upon their eligibility criteria.

e-SHRAM  portal  was  launched  in  August,  2021  with  an objective to create National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) of the age group of 16-59 years to facilitate delivery of Social Security Schemes/Welfare  Schemes  of  the  Central  and  State  Governments  to the unorganized workers.

(e): Does not arise.

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  142*  FOR  13.02.2023  REGARDING  'SUICIDES  BY  DAILY  WAGERS'  RAISED  BY  SHRI THIRUNAVUKKARASAR SU.

| Profession-wise Number of Suicides committed by people in the country during 2019-2021   | Profession-wise Number of Suicides committed by people in the country during 2019-2021   |   Profession-wise Number of Suicides committed by people in the country during 2019-2021 |   Profession-wise Number of Suicides committed by people in the country during 2019-2021 |   Profession-wise Number of Suicides committed by people in the country during 2019-2021 |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl.No                                                                                    | Profession                                                                               |                                                                                     2019 |                                                                                     2020 |                                                                                     2021 |
| 1                                                                                        | Housewife                                                                                |                                                                                    21359 |                                                                                    22374 |                                                                                    23179 |
| 2                                                                                        | Professional/Salaried Persons (Total)                                                    |                                                                                    12725 |                                                                                    14825 |                                                                                    15870 |
| 2.1                                                                                      | Govt. Servants (Total)                                                                   |                                                                                     1684 |                                                                                     2057 |                                                                                     1898 |
| 2.1.1                                                                                    | Central/UT Govt. Servants                                                                |                                                                                      307 |                                                                                      439 |                                                                                      381 |
| 2.1.2                                                                                    | State Govt. Servants                                                                     |                                                                                      968 |                                                                                     1089 |                                                                                     1131 |
| 2.1.3                                                                                    | Other Statutory Body/etc.                                                                |                                                                                      409 |                                                                                      529 |                                                                                      386 |
| 2.2                                                                                      | Private Sector Enterprises                                                               |                                                                                     8730 |                                                                                    10166 |                                                                                    11431 |
| 2.3                                                                                      | Public Sector Undertaking                                                                |                                                                                     2311 |                                                                                     2602 |                                                                                     2541 |
| 3                                                                                        | Students                                                                                 |                                                                                    10335 |                                                                                    12526 |                                                                                    13089 |
| 4                                                                                        | Unemployed Persons                                                                       |                                                                                    14019 |                                                                                    15652 |                                                                                    13714 |
| 5                                                                                        | Self-employed Persons (Total)                                                            |                                                                                    16098 |                                                                                    17332 |                                                                                    20231 |
| 5.1                                                                                      | Business (Total)                                                                         |                                                                                     9052 |                                                                                    11716 |                                                                                    12055 |
| 5.1.1                                                                                    | Vendor                                                                                   |                                                                                     3351 |                                                                                     4226 |                                                                                     4532 |
| 5.1.2                                                                                    | Tradesmen                                                                                |                                                                                     2906 |                                                                                     4356 |                                                                                     3633 |
| 5.1.3                                                                                    | Others                                                                                   |                                                                                     2795 |                                                                                     3134 |                                                                                     3890 |
| 5.2                                                                                      | Other Self-employed Persons                                                              |                                                                                     7046 |                                                                                     5616 |                                                                                     8176 |
| 6                                                                                        | Persons engaged in Farming Sector (Total)                                                |                                                                                    10281 |                                                                                    10677 |                                                                                    10881 |
| 6.1                                                                                      | Farmers/Cultivators                                                                      |                                                                                     5957 |                                                                                     5579 |                                                                                     5318 |
| 6.2                                                                                      | Agricultural Labourers                                                                   |                                                                                     4324 |                                                                                     5098 |                                                                                     5563 |
| 7                                                                                        | Daily Wage Earner                                                                        |                                                                                    32563 |                                                                                    37666 |                                                                                    42004 |
| 8                                                                                        | Retired Persons                                                                          |                                                                                     1302 |                                                                                     1457 |                                                                                     1518 |
| 9                                                                                        | Other Persons                                                                            |                                                                                    20441 |                                                                                    20543 |                                                                                    23547 |
|                                                                                          | Total                                                                                    |                                                                                   139123 |                                                                                   153052 |                                                                                   164033 |

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