NATIONAL
SEMINAR ON EVOLVING SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION FOR ALL
Social security in
India is increasingly seen as an integral part of the development
process. It helps to create a more positive attitude not just
to structural and technological change but also in meeting the
challenge of globalisation and to its potential benefits in terms
of greater efficiency and higher productivity. In the last five
decades, considerable progress has been made in extension of social
security cover to workers. However, a universal social security
programme for the country still remains a distant goal.
Improved health care
and resultant increase in longevity calls for redoubled effort
to create awareness and also put in place an appropriate institutional
mechanism for a wide-spread social security cover. It is estimated
that the country will have by 2026 13% of its population above
60 years of age with most of them living at least till eighties.
Without any credible social protection this vast aging population
would experience serious neglect and poor quality life and even
get exposed to abject penury and destitution.
According to 1991
census, only 33 million workers have got pension cover while 281
million workers in unorganised sector are devoid of any credible
social security protection. Majority of these workers, living
with marginal incomes, lacks the capacity to generate worthwhile
savings for autumn of their lives. . Even in case of central government
employees the governments’ pension liability is estimated to increase
from Rs.35.690 million in 1995 to Rs.2,71,830 million in 2015.
It would cause a great drain on government finance and in the
long run make non-contributory pension schemes unviable.
It is in this scenario
that the National Academy for Training and Research in Social
Security (NATRSS) of the EPFO is organising a two-day National
Seminar entitled ‘Advocacy for Social Security and Vulnerability
Reduction’ from November 11, 2002. It aims at creating awareness
about seriousness of the issue as well as involving social partners
and stakeholders in orchestrating the cause of the uncovered workers
for social security. The seminar will focus among other things
on a National Strategy for working towards social security for
all and financing of social security and management of funds.
Social security experts, social thinkers, and representatives
of Non-Governmental Organisations, International Labour Organisation
and UNDP will participate in the Seminar.
