Lok Sabha Question No. 2515 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-15
Subject: Policy Recommendations for Employment Generation
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Sajda Ahmed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2515

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2023

## POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT GENERATION

## 2515. SHRIMATI SAJDA AHMED:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  policy  recommendations  given  by  NITI  Aayog  for  improving  the employment generation during the last three years;
- (b) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  revamp  the  present  policy  on  employment generation through MNREGA;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  a  policy  on  the  social  security  of  platformbased gig workers; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

## (RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

- (a) Since  employment  generation  is  cross-sectoral  dynamic  phenomenon,  all  schemes  and programs of the Government emphasize upon harnessing potential employment generation through backward and forward linkages in the economy. NITI Aayog has not given policy recommendation specific to Employment Generation. However, suggestions/inputs provided by NITI  Aayog  on  all  relevant  schemes/programmes involves strategic deliberations on employment generation.
- (b) No,  The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA) Act 2005 is an Act to provide for enhancement of livelihood security of the households  in  rural  areas  of  the  country  by  providing  at  least  100  days  of  guaranteed wage  employment  in  every  financial  year  to  every  household  whose  adult  members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

- (c) to  (d)  For  the  first  time,  the  definition  of  'gig  worker'  and  'platform  worker'  has  been provided  in  the  Code  on  Social  Security,  2020.  The  Code  on  Social  Security,  2020 provides  for  framing  of  suitable  social  security  schemes  for  gig  workers  and  platform workers on matters relating  to  life  and  disability  cover,  accident  insurance,  health  and maternity benefits, old age protection, etc. The Code also provides for setting up a Social Security Fund and one of the sources of fund, is contribution from aggregator between 1, to 2%  of annual turnover of an aggregator subject to the limit of 5% of the amount paid or payable by an aggregator to such workers. However, the Code has not yet come into force. Further, the Government  has  launched e-Shram  portal on 26.08.2021 for registration and creation of a Comprehensive National Database of Unorganized Workers including  gig  workers  and  platform  workers.  It  allows  a  person  to  register  himself  or herself  on  the  portal  on  self-declaration  basis,  which  is  spread  across  around  400 occupations. The revised module for gig workers and platform workers was made live on e-Shram  portal  in  September,  2022  and  over  38,000  platform  workers  have  been registered /updated their profile on e-Shram portal as platform workers.

*****