Interrrogating a Framework for Universal Social Protection in India

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dc.article.end-page49
dc.article.start-page1
dc.contributor.authorSrivastava, Ravi
dc.date.accessioned2022-12-21T09:10:33Z
dc.date.available2022-12-21T09:10:33Z
dc.date.issued2021-01
dc.departmentSouthern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS)
dc.description.abstractThe paper begins by dealing with conceptual issues around social security, social protection, and a social protection floor and argues for a rights based social protection floor for India. It then describes the broad social security or social protection system in place in the country. Since social protection systems are contingent on the characteristics and nature of work and employment relations, the paper uses existing data sources to elaborate on the (gendered) nature of the workforce. It also points out how existing social security systems reinforce labour market inequalities. The paper goes on to discuss the nature of expansion of social security and social protection since the turn of the century. It describes two distinct phases: the first, from about 2002 to 2014 when these systems expanded due to grassroots movements, court judgments and government responses; the second, from 2014 onwards, when the new government turned its back on rights based social security, but populist pressures still led to the introduction of new measures, although the financial priority given to social protection declined. Finally, the paper focuses on the current issues and challenges in moving towards a rights based social protection floor in India. It argues that such a social protection floor should combine worker-centric and citizen-centric features and comprise minimum guarantees for all at the base, with a second level of contributory social security. It considers the possible options for social protection – contributory and non-contributory and a universal basic income. It also analyses the consequences of the government’s thrust on digital financialisation for benefit payments and on biometric identification of workers and argues that, while the introduction of a social security registration system for workers is essential, approaches currently being put in place impose high costs on the poorest, and do not build on adequate data privacy safeguards.
dc.description.librarianES2022
dc.description.sponsorshipSouthern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS)
dc.description.sponsorshipUniversity of the Witwatersrand
dc.facultyFaculty of Commerce, Law and Management
dc.identifier.citationSrivastava, R. 2021. Interrogating a framework for universal social protection in India. Future of Work(ers) SCIS Working Paper Number 11. Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, Wits University.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/33903
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSouthern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS)
dc.publisherUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
dc.relation.ispartofseriesSCIS Working Paper; 11
dc.rights©2021 Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS)
dc.schoolSouthern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS)
dc.subjectFuture of workers
dc.subjectSocial security
dc.subjectSocial protection
dc.subjectSocial protection floor
dc.subjectWorker-centric
dc.subjectCitizen-centric
dc.subjectDigital financialisation
dc.subjectBiometric identification of workers
dc.subjectUniversal Social Protection in India
dc.titleInterrrogating a Framework for Universal Social Protection in India
dc.typeWorking Paper
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