Magazine 2014
International Peer-Reviewed Journal
RESEARCH HORIZONS, VOL. 4 JULY 2014
SOCIAL (IN) SECURITY IN INDIA : SOME REFLECTIONS
Sharmila Jajodia
ABSTRACT
This paper is directed to explicate social (in)security in India and the need to reconsider the prevailing
social security as Indian society has come a long way from agricultural society to industrial society and
now a technologically advanced society where from extended and large joint family system to nuclear
family and now single parent family has been the reality. India is also facing some type of threats either
due to internal or external conflicts almost everyday in one or the other form at familial and social level,
so social security has become the need of the hour. Social security is not a recently originated concept
in India. It has existed in every society. But with changing Indian social scenario, it is unavoidable to
continue with the prevailing social security. In the light of the above said observations, the paper tries to
understand the concept of social security, its various strategies, schemes and the requirement to reflect
on it to do something concrete in this direction to do justice with the Indian society with respect to the
global and local transformations taking place at a rapid pace. Besides the paper also tries to explore the
possibilities for the marginalized section of society –disabled and women as far as social security is
concerned.
Keywords : Social security, contemporary Indian society, global and local transformations
Introduction
Every human being in general is dependent on others in society in day to day life besides when one is
a child or an old person but marginalized sections - pregnant woman, sick and disabled in particular
need special assistance from others for fulfillment of their basic needs otherwise too. All healthy and
young person help others when they are able-bodied so they owe a debt from society when they
become aged, helpless, invalid or disabled and then it is essential on the part of society to provide
help to them when they are in need indeed. Therefore, social security is not a recent concept rather it
exists in almost every society in one or other form. When a society guarantees help and assistance to
those who are temporarily or permanently incapacitated, it is known as social security. It is difficult to
define the concept of social security as it is looked at differently by people belonging to different strata,
sectors and nations and there is no universally accepted broad definition.
International Labour Organisation defines social security as “the security that society furnishes through
appropriate organization against certain risks to which its members are exposed.”
According to Sir William Beveridge, “Social security is an attack on five giants namely, Want, Disease,
Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.” (In 1942 Sir Beveridge prepared a detailed plan on social security
which is known as Beveridge Plan 1942)
First International Seminar on Social Security opines thus: Each country must create, conserve and
build up the intellectual, moral and physical vigour of its active generation, prepare the way for its
future generations and support the generation which has been discharged from productive life. The
social security is a genuine and rational economy of human resources and values.
Article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, “Everyone as a member of society,
has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international
cooperation and in accordance with the organization and resources of the each state, of the economic,
social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality”
(
UN, 1948)
Thus social security is a planned commitment of a society to relieve the discomforts of every generation
and each section of society. Social security is exclusively operated by government and its benefits are
allowed strictly on the basis of needs of an individual or a family. It ensures peaceful and harmonious
life to the society in general as it provides protection against socially recognized conditions including
childhood, poverty, old age, widowhood, disability, unemployment and other risks such as - protracted
illness, pregnancy and child birth, accident and incapacitation due to disease, shock (trauma)or
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RESEARCH HORIZONS, VOL. 4 JULY 2014
accident, death when individual is unable to take care of his/her own needs and that of the family
members be it physical, social, psychological and financial. It also refers to basic security providing
access to basic necessities-food, clothing, shelter, education, medical care etc., and services provided
by administration responsible for social security. It includes maintenance of income in case of interruption
of employment on retirement, disability and unemployment and social insurance when people receive
benefit or services in recognition of contributions to an insurance scheme such as- retirement pensions,
disability insurance, survivor benefits and unemployment insurance. Thus social security protects not
just the subscriber but also his/her entire family by giving benefit packages in financial security and
health care when an earning member either retires, dies or suffers a disability. These schemes designed
to guarantee at least long term sustenance act as a facilitator as it helps people to plan their own future
through insurance and assistance. In other words, social security provides protection and promotion.
The aim of protection is to prevent decline in living standard while of promotion to raise the general
living standard and to expand the basic capabilities of the population.
Social security in India has been prevailing informally as in joint family the social security needs of all
the members are taken care of owing to the cultural traditions and a sense of shared responsibilities
towards them especially the aged, invalid or widow provided the family has resources. However, the
scenario has changed a lot due to increased migration, urbanization, demographic changes, besides
the transition from agricultural economy to industrial economy and the extended large family system
to nuclear family system. Lately, there are innumerable factors which contribute to social insecurity in
knowledge based economy, globalized , sci-tech advanced society with emerging single parent family
structure, such as -internal and external conflicts, terrorist attacks, physical and psychological abuse,
domestic violence happening anytime and anywhere to anyone, government transport- road, rail and
airways being prone to accidents due to negligence; individuals too being stressed, frustrated and
undisciplined harm directly or indirectly. Therefore the formal system of social security has become
the need of the hour and has gained national importance.
Review of Literature
In fact about 80 % of the global population live in conditions of social insecurity i.e. they have no
access to formal security beyond the limited possibilities of depending on their families, kinship groups
or friends. Among these 80 percent, 20% live in abject poverty- the cruelest form of insecurity. India is
the second most populous country in the world. People are desperately poor as one quarter of world’s
malnourished live in India. The social security in a large and diverse country like India is bound to be
complex despite a long tradition of informal social security as India is a relationship based society still
it is trying to come to terms with social changes through a rule based system. (Bagchi & Gope, 2012)
Objectives
i) To understand the prevailing social security in India and find out how and why the need to reconsider
it has arisen.
ii) To analyse the various strategies, schemes with respect to the global and local transformations
taking place at a rapid pace.
iii) To explore the possibilities of social security for the marginalized section of society especially
disabled and women and to reflect who is responsible for it –government or individual/ society or
both.
Sources of Data Collection
To achieve the above said objective, the research method mainly used is library study. The study is
purely based on the secondary data collected from books, journals, magazines, newspapers and
websites.
Limitations of the Study
This study is made only in relation with secondary data available from various library resources.
Findings and Discussion
Indian society has come a long way from agricultural society to industrial society and now a
technologically advanced knowledge based society where from extended and large joint family system
to nuclear family has been existent and now single parent family is the reality too. India is also facing
some type of threats either due to internal or external conflicts almost every day in one or the other
form at familial and social level, so social security has become the need of the hour. Social security is
not a novel concept in India too but with changing Indian social scenario, it is unavoidable to continue
with the prevailing social security.
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The article 43 of the constitution of India speaks of state’s responsibility to provide social security to the
citizens of this country. Therefore social security strategies in practice include- social insurance with
the participation of the beneficiary pooling risks and resources; social assistance financed from general
revenues and granting benefits on the basis of means test; employers liability schemes where there is
an identifiable employer and within the economic capacity of the employer; national provident funds;
universal schemes for social security which act as preventive, promotional and protective schemes.
But in the beginning social security benefits had been mostly extended only to working population in
the organized sectors. The organized sector chiefly includes those establishments which are covered
by the Factories Act, 1948; the Shops and Commercial Establishment Acts of State Governments, the
Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act, 1946 etc. through legislations like- Employees State
Insurance Act 1948; Workmen’s Compensation Act 1923; Employees Provident Fund and miscellaneous
Provisions Acts 1952; Payment of Gratuity Act 1972; Maternity Benefits Act 1976.
But the unorganized sector was not covered by the labour law as it has seasonal and temporary nature
of occupations, high labour mobility, dispersed functioning of operations, casualization of labour, lack
of organizational support, low bargaining power, etc. In rural sectors it includes landless agricultural
labourers, small and marginal farmers, share croppers, forest workers, rural artisans; person engaged
in bee-keeping, animal husbandry, fishing, horticulture, toddy tapping etc. whereas in the urban areas,
it includes primarily manual labourers in construction, carpentry, trade, transport, communication etc.
and also includes street vendors, hawkers, head load workers, cobblers, tin smiths, garment makers
etc. . Thus the workforce in the unorganized sector is more prone to socio-economic hardships and
the social insecurity prevails due to many reasons and so the social security benefits are immensely
needed.A few examples from informal unorganized sector tell the sad stories and poor plight of the
neglected work force especially women who enter to work force to improve the living conditions. “We
toil from early morning to late at night, on our feet and even then we don’t have enough to feed our
bellies”, says 70 years old Karimabibi, a home based worker from Ahmedabad. The women workers
who are agarbatti/incense stick rollers end up being cheated as sometimes they don’t get enough
mixture, the employers keep shifting the factories or they experience non-payment of minimum wages
or delayed payment of wages. Child labour is rampant in this field. Rehanabi of Ahmedabad observes,
‘
she has stitched petticoat, made rachis and kite strings. Her four daughters are also engaged in the
same work but for any kind of credit they depend on relatives.’ The women in varied informal sectors
suffer from various diseases due to inadequate basic facilities, lack of sanitation and hygiene and
malnutrition.
But ironically, the more than 92% workforce in the informal sector which contribute more than 60%
GDP is largely unrecorded and has been neglected in this regard in the last so many years. Of late the
issue of providing social security to the growing segment of unorganized sector became a significant
part of development related deliberation in India. Therefore Government of India has made various
efforts in this direction and managed to get The Unorganized Workers Social Security Bill passed in
the Lok Sabha on 18 December 2008. The then Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes termed the Bill as
the “first step in 60 years to remove difficulties of the poor.” The bill provides for various welfare schemes
like health insurance, group accident benefits, saving-cum-relief scheme and family and old-age benefit
schemes. Government has decided to set up a ‘National Social Security Fund’ with an initial allocation
of Rs 1000 crore, besides extending the benefits of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) scheme
to NREGA beneficiaries who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding financial year as
a follow up to the unorganised Sector Workers Social Security Act, 2008. The scheme provides health
insurance cover to BPL workers and their families and so far more than one crore smart cards have
been issued under this scheme. The security fund will support schemes for weavers, toddy tappers,
rickshaw pullers, bidi workers and other such workers.
The social security programmes for disabled are reservation in services, concession in employment,
disability pension, special school for children, specific assistance programmes but these benefits are
not comprehensive and don’t cover all. What about those disabled who are unemployable-either widows,
aged, even adult or children dependent on others?
There are various social security programmes for senior citizens/ageing population such as Maintenance
from their financially independent sons/ daughters, concessions in rail or air travel fare, National Old
Age Pension Scheme; concessions to NGOs, SHGs for constructing Old Age Homes or multi service
centre, Under Annapurna scheme free food grains (Wheat/ rice) up to 10 kg to destitute older; income
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tax rebate, separate queue or counters for - filing IT Returns; registration and examination in hospitals,
paying utility bills, for booking/purchasing or cancellation of tickets; telephone connections to elderly
on priority basis, ensure speedy disposal of court cases involving older persons. The government has
even started programmes for poor children such Midday Meal Scheme, Right to Education etc.; for
women prenatal care, free education to girl child, reservation in services, widow pension scheme etc.
Although Government has provided various schemes for all vulnerable groups up to some extent on
paper, yet the implementation takes too much time and it has not been qualitatively implemented
mostly due to one or other reason. Technical aspects/ formalities are too complicated and time
consuming so social security doesn’t reach the needy in time; loopholes / ambiguities in laws also
become obstacle in the way of the victims/ deserving persons. The major problem in social security
system in India is multiple schemes and programs at central and state level; they do not conform to
any overall design nor do they represent any uniform policy or plan. We do not have an existing
universal security system and we do not face the problem of exit rate from the workplace being higher
than the replacement rate. Rather on the contrary lack of employment opportunities is the key concern.
Social security is becoming a vital component of social policy in India and the present demand is to
reflect on the ever increasing social security needs of the population. There are diversified views on
extension of social security coverage. Some say it should be limited only to working population and
their families and while others say that the entire population should be covered under social security
programmes.
Even in Arthasastra (1.19.34) it is said: “In the happiness of the subjects lies the happiness of the king;
in the welfare of the subjects is the welfare of the king; not his personal desire and ambitions, but what
is desirable and beneficial to the subjects, that is desirable and beneficial for the king.”
Suggestions and Conclusion: The government needs to provide social security not only in financial
terms but overall security be it -physical, psychological, sociological and environmental security to all
vulnerable groups and to every one for inclusive economic growth as social security is a genuine and
rational economy of human resources and values.
Therefore Indian government need to make optimum utilization of resources for it budding generation
by providing them nutritious food, healthy environment at social front, building homes for the old,
helpless, disabled women and children. But for this, not only government/administration is to be held
responsible, we as an individual and society need to be as much responsible and honest in discharging
our duties at every front as much as we expect from the government , being the part and parcel of
democratic system.
References
Bhuimali, Anil(2011). Ageing Population and Social Security System: Global Scenario with Special
Reference to India. Serial Publications. New Delhi. Print.
Bagchi, K. K & Gope, Nirupam (2012). Social Security for Unorganised Workers in India: Issues and
Concerns. Madhav Books. Gurgaon. Print.
<
http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=343613>Web. 10 April 2010,
1
5:30
<
<
http://www.disabilityindia.org/socialsecurity.cfm>Web. 09 April 2010, 16:30
http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20100226/1416/tnl-social-security-fund-for-
unorganised.html>Web. 8 April 2010, 14:30
<
http://labour.nic.in/ss/welcome.html>Web. 8April 2010, 17:30
Ms. Sharmila Jagodia : Assistant Professor, Department of English, Ramnarain Jhunjhunwala College,
Mumbai.
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