India's Minister of Labour, Santosh Gangwar, announced to the press that he was looking to extend sickness and maternity benefits to a large proportion of workers in the informal sector. According to reports in the Economic Times, published on 27 August, this proposal could also include pensions provision, life assurance and disability insurance, the aim of which is to protect 400 million informal workers.
This social coverage programme would be on a voluntary basis and financed in equal parts by the beneficiaries and the central or federal state. The Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), which already manages social security for employees in the formal sector, would administer the new system.
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