Keywords
Unorganized sector, social security schemes, media, sensitization programmes, PM Jan Dhan Yojana, Aam Aadmi Bhima Yojana, communication strategies, government initiatives, workforce, vulnerability.
Introduction
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) defines social security as “the protection that a society provides to individuals and households to ensure access to health care and to guarantee income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity, or loss of a breadwinner”. This definition points to the imperative of the social security scheme for underprivileged people. Social security through organized sector coverage is better with structured, formal employment contracts that include retirement benefits, health care, and insurance. The unorganized sector in India accounts for approximately 93% of the total workforce, where workers either fall outside the purview of formal employment contracts and thereby have access to any form of social security benefit or are employed under irregular and precarious conditions. This class includes casual wage workers, domestic workers, agricultural labourers, street vendors, construction workers, and other forms of informal employment.
This means they have no job security, health benefits, or retirement savings, which makes them financially vulnerable to illness, unemployment, or old age. Their limited formal education also results in many being unaware of the social security benefits available under government schemes. Social security schemes are in this respect needed to address the vulnerabilities that workers face in the unorganized sector. The unorganized workers fall back upon the formal mechanisms that take the shape of government welfare schemes, health insurance programs, and pension plans that provide a safety net. It reduces their dependence on informal sources of credit, besides providing an element of protection against poverty at times of need.
The gap between policy and practice in terms of social security within the unorganized sector, and how media and sensitization programs can help bridge this chasm, are considered important issues. Even though many social security schemes have been designed for unorganized workers, the benefits entitled to many go unrecognized. This has been attributed to the ineffective communication approach in the case of rural and remote areas where conventional and modern media channels may not reach all individuals. The digital divide, on the other side, limits the effectiveness of internet-based awareness campaigns in the case of regions with low internet diffusion.
The Role of Media
Information on social security schemes in India has been passed through traditional media like print, radio, and television. As a result, people have had to depend on these media as sources of information in rural and semi-urban areas because access to the internet is poor and also, at times, the literacy level is comparatively low. Awareness about Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and Aam Aadmi Bhima Yojana (AABY) schemes have been driven pretty effectively by government-sponsored radio programs, newspaper advertisements, and TV commercials. Radio broadcasted the basic information pertaining to enrolment processes and benefits accrued from the scheme very effectively in rural areas. Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati network of India has channeled its reach in educating millions in remote regions. As for television, it too has played an influential role, wide campaigns are broadcasted on different popular channels, therefore giving significant coverage to these schemes. Reports say that TV and radio reached over 65% of rural households, more than digital media in most areas.
Other plans by the government to make it more effective and reach household levels in rural areas include The Ministry of Labour and Employment, in August 2021, launched the e-Shram Portal to create a national database of unorganized workers. It is expected to introduce efficiency in the implementation of social security schemes by bringing precision and timeliness to the information about informal economy workers. It gathers data regarding occupation, education, skill levels, and location to assist the government in formulating and smoothly implementing welfare policies. It provides a Universal Account Number to the workers who get themselves registered on the portal and allows them to avail of various social security benefits. The process of registration is free of cost, and thus workers from every field of employment, such as agriculture, construction, or domestic help, are invited to join. The platform helps workers in times of crisis to get access to financial assistance during crises caused by COVID-19, when many are being rendered jobless and face a financial crisis.
Till March 2023, registrations on the e-Shram portal had crossed the 28 crore mark, reflecting the prospects of substantially improving the consolidation of welfare schemes for unorganized workers. The integrated database can thus be expected to facilitate more focused interventions; the efficiency of the existing social security programs could thereby be improved, ensuring better delivery of benefits to those in need. However, the success of the e-Shram initiative depends on sustained outreach efforts and sensitization programs to raise awareness among workers about the portal and ways to use it.
This also underlines the increasing awareness of the scheme and the way that it could turn out to be a source of much-needed social security coverage for millions of informal workers. Workers from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal accounted for a major chunk of the enrolments, while a sizeable number of the enrolled workers were women. The website related to PMJDY showed that as of May 2023, more than 48 crore accounts were opened under the Scheme, and out of these, approximately 55% were women. The DBT mechanism tagged with those accounts has enabled the direct transfer of Govt. Subsidies and welfare payments and upgraded financial inclusions, especially for the rural masses. These surely are encouraging numbers, but there is still a question as to whether such schemes can be said to have succeeded in making their full impact. The first problem is, that incomplete internet diffusion and lower levels of digital literacy stand as real barriers to the effective extension of the e-Shram portal to genuinely peripheral workers. The second problem is that though the PMJDY has surely expanded access to formal banking, large numbers of account holders have not gone on to actively use their accounts for saving or credit, which underlines the remaining need for sustained financial literacy programs.
Rise of Digital Media
With the rise of the digital era, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have become important tools for the Indian government to share information about social security schemes. Its main target audience is the youth of today and people in cities. For example, using social media campaigns regarding the PMJDY and AABY programs, it has tried to explain many complicated processes using infographics, videos, and success stories to make sure a larger understanding can be obtained. The MyGov portal and initiatives of Digital India form the supporting structure for the creation of awareness about these schemes. WhatsApp groups are also in extensive use in rural areas for the fastest dissemination of information at low cost, as the habit of its usage is prevalent. However, the digital gap forms a major obstacle in rural areas, where internet penetration is very low and access to smartphones and digital literacy is still a far concept among many potential beneficiaries. This takes away the effectiveness of social media campaigns against traditional media in these regions.
Various social security schemes were effectively publicized through many government media campaigns. Among these, one of the most notable campaigns is "Mann Ki Baat," a radio program led by none other than the Prime Minister himself, Narendra Modi, whereby the government has directly informed citizens about its schemes, including PMJDY, AABY, and the e-Shram portal. Another successful initiative was the "Jan Dhan Darshak" app, which helped users find nearby banks and points of financial services for greater penetration of financial inclusion schemes. These initiatives, along with sustained media messages, have generated greater awareness about social security schemes among different demographic groups.
Case studies and surveys have thrown up sufficient evidence to prove that the media has played a very important role in increasing the reach of the social security scheme. According to a 2022 report by NITI Aayog, awareness about PMJDY in rural areas went up by 40% through targeted radio and TV campaigns. A similar study carried out by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations also identified that traditional media created a greater awareness among the poorer sections, while social media generated more awareness among the youthful, tech-savvy urban residents. These results emphasize the importance of a judicious media strategy relating to a proper mix of both traditional and modern channels of dissemination for maximum reach and effect of social security initiatives.
Role of sensitization programmes
It is worth mentioning that sensitization programmes are invaluable in educating unorganized sector workers on their awareness and access rights concerning social security schemes. They serve as an important bridge between the workers and the programs of the government so that workers are aware of the available schemes, which ones they qualify for, as well as how to go about applying for them. Workers tend to or opt not to utilize many benefits such as insurance, pensions, and healthcare in the absence of such awareness. Sensitization programs, therefore, can help expose workers to such opportunities, thus alleviating their economic instability, and socio-economic status thereby enhancing social integration.
Both government and non-government organizations have been engaged in implementing sensitization programs among unorganized workers. Contribution from the government has been through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) & Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) which aim to empower the grassroots. This is especially true in rural areas where SHGs have been creating awareness of PMJDY by facilitating camps for opening accounts as well as offering insurance products. Further PRIs serve as local government units, optimizing the ability to conduct outreach and communicate to large populations through decentralization strategies.
Role of NGO’S
NGOs like SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association) and PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) have also been very important, especially in the sensitization process of informing the workers about their social security advantages. These NGOs fill the lacunae of policy and employment with the relevant knowledge of the workers’ issues and encourage them to register for different schemes. NGO's community-based programs and government support have effectively extended services and information by using the indigenous language and appropriate culture even in inaccessible areas.
Nevertheless, these attempts have not turned out to be very beneficial in covering the information gap for sensitization programs. In tribal and far-off regions, such information remains out of reach because the populations there are very isolated. Besides technical problems, there are also socio-linguistic barriers, because all the described programs are sometimes advertised in Hindi, or English official language which the locals do not understand. Furthermore, some of those opportunistic programs may be undermined by their lack of resources, causing inequality in outreach among the target beneficiaries. Many projects are not prolonged and the achieved level of awareness dissipates creating perplexity or distorted facts. Bridging these gaps necessitates sustained contact, localized messages, and targeting the disadvantaged groups.
Empirical Data and Case Studies on Social Security Schemes in the Unorganized Sector
Case Study 1: Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
The PMJDY, launched in 2014, was an endeavour of the Government of India to ensure financial inclusion for the poorest of the poor, particularly those engaged in unorganized sectors. This sector comprises approximately 93% of the workforce in India and has conventionally remained excluded from the formal financial system, thereby rendering workers exposed to vagaries and bereft of basic services such as insurance, savings, and pensions.
Successes -
The PMJDY has immensely contributed to financial inclusion, especially for the rural and unorganized sectors of the manpower. By 2022, the scheme enabled the opening of 46.25 crore or 462.5 million bank accounts, out of which 55.59% were in rural areas . These accounts are all zero balance, and the account holder is also issued RuPay debit cards, with an inbuilt accidental insurance cover up to ₹2lakh. Incidentally, this has been found very useful for workers in the unorganized sector who do not enjoy the benefit of social security.
Integration with bank accounts is one of the biggest achievements of PMJDY; Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) ensures that there is no leakage or corruption in government subsidies, pensions, and social security payments reaching the actual beneficiary. In the process, it has ensured the financial empowerment of workers in the unorganized particularly women who had no access to formal banking channels.
Limitations -
While large-scale coverage under PMJDY has been achieved, there is much work to be done at the back end. A significant portion of the accounts opened under the scheme are still inoperative, and 18% with zero balance, suggesting that workers in the unorganized sector may not be particularly able to utilize the services on offer . Furthermore, banking correspondents, carrying out the implementation of the scheme in rural areas, have to suffer delays in payments, while enthusiasm for providing the service shows declining enthusiasm in general, where banking infrastructure is thin.
The other major challenge is the financial illiteracy among the unorganized sector workers. Most of them do not understand the full benefits of the scheme, and many workers do not know other services like overdraft facilities or insurance coverage. In the case of rural women, the financial illiteracy is worse, thereby influencing their level of access and benefits derived from the scheme.
Statistical Data -
According to the Ministry of Finance, more than 35 crore unorganized sector workers have opened accounts under the PMJDY , but only a few of them are actually using those accounts either for transactions or saving purposes.
Case Study 2: Aam Aadmi Bhima Yojana (AABY)
Aam Aadmi Bhima Yojana is another imperative scheme covering unorganized sector workers who have life insurance coverage and disability where their benefits cannot be availed. It was launched in 2007 with the concept of making unorganized sector workers less vulnerable by at least offering a nominal safety net in case of events like death or disability.
Scope -
The AABY is meant for a wide range of unorganized sector workers such as agricultural labourers, rickshaw pullers, construction workers, and self-employed workers. The scheme has a life insurance coverage of ₹ 30,000 in the case of natural death and ₹ 75,000 for accidental death, together with partial or full disability coverage. As of 2021, more than 5 crore (50 million) unorganized sector workers were covered under the scheme.
Impact -
Though the scheme has been quite successful in terms of the number of workers covered, its implementation has certain gaps. While during 2015-2021, 5crore workers were covered, only 2.5 lakh claims were processed. This mismatch shows that the scheme faces problems related to outreach, awareness, and processing of claims. Secondly, though the geographical spread is quite good for the scheme, backward and tribal areas remain relatively under-representative since awareness about social security schemes is low in these areas.
Statistical Data -
Workers covered: 5 crore as of 2021
Claims processed: 2.5 lakh from 2015 to 2021
Geographical reach: 20 states with challenges of accessibility, especially in rural and tribal areas.
Challenges in Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Practice
1) Accessibility and Inclusivity
Despite the ambitious goals of such social security schemes, PMJDY and AABY face many difficulties in accessing benefits for unorganized sector workers. Illiteracy and lack of awareness, coupled with inefficiencies created in the bureaucratic machinery, were the major obstacles to full participation in such schemes.
A large part of the unorganized sector workers are illiterate and they cannot understand how these schemes would benefit them. This is particularly true for women, who form a large portion of the rural workforce. Women often face additional social and cultural barriers that further reduce their participation in financial services.
It also restricts access because there are so many bureaucratic hurdles in the way. Most of the people in the unorganized sector lack proper identity documents like Aadhaar or PAN. This prevents them from opening bank accounts or enrolling in any insurance schemes. As a matter of fact, the application process of some of these schemes is so cumbersome with multiple layers of verification that workers are put off by the whole process.
Inadequate infrastructure is another major impediment. The lack of physical access to banks, insurance offices, and mechanisms for grievance redressal in rural and tribal areas has barred workers from utilizing these schemes effectively.
2) Digital Divide and Limited Outreach
Its rapid digital transformation has left a big section of the unorganized workforce, particularly in rural areas, far behind. At a time when the government is increasingly using digital platforms for outreach and service delivery, much of rural India does not have the necessary digital literacy and internet connectivity to access such services.
Workers in remote areas lack the technological skills required to navigate through online platforms, and this is where the e-Shram portal has been created for registration of the unorganized sector workers to help them get facilities of social security schemes. It is aggravated by the deficiency in smartphones and a general lack of awareness on how to use such platforms.
3) Policy vs. Implementation
The largest challenge in the social security setup in India is, in fact, the wide gap in proper implementation between well-designed policies and implementation at the grassroots level. Although certain schemes, such as PMJDY and AABY, fetch valuable benefits for the worker, complicated application processes and lengthy verification processes have also resulted in a number of eligible workers not being enrolled.
Corruption, too, does not spare the unorganized sector workers, while intermediaries charge illegal fees for registrations under social security schemes. Although the government, to avoid middlemen, launched Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), workers face difficulties in receiving their entitlements in time.
Recommendations for Improving Outreach and Effectiveness of Social Security Schemes
1) Strengthening Media Campaigns
Outreach would be far greater if the Government of India invested in more intense campaigns through the media to make sure the worker in the unorganized sector becomes aware of his or her rights and entitlements under the social security schemes. Such a campaign should center its attention on multilingual content; messages need to be translated into regional languages so that all workers comprehend them, particularly in rural areas.
Culturally Sensitive Outreach: Local norms and value sets should be considered when campaigns are planned so that the messaging resonates with the workers from the different regions.
Traditional media, in the form of radio and community channels, will be more applicable to areas with low internet coverage, while digital media has a chance of taking up targeted messages to the younger generation in better-connected areas population who can quickly adapt to digital services and help create awareness within the communities.
2) Promoting Sensitization Programs
Sensitization programs should aim at enhancing the awareness among unorganized sector workers about the benefits accruing from social security schemes. The programs to be undertaken will involve:
Local Governance Institutions: Panchayats and Gram Panchayats can play a pivotal role in disseminating awareness about social security schemes at the grassroots level.
NGO Partnership: Here, civil society organizations can play a facilitating role between the government and the unorganized sector workers by bridging the information gap in getting them enrolled under various schemes.
3) Bridging the Digital Divide
Given these barriers of the digital divide, the government should, instead, emphasize mobile-based services that will allow unorganized sector workers to access and enroll under the schemes with minimum knowledge of technology. Offline solutions such as Aadhaar-enabled kiosks could bring in a kiosk model that will provide an avenue to the workers for registration under social security schemes and grievance redressal with no access to the Internet.
The digital literacy programs should also be scaled up in rural areas so that the workers can acquire the required skills to access services online for schemes such as PMJDY and AABY.
4) Smoothening Policy Implementation
For seamless implementation of social security schemes, the following could be considered:
Simplification of application procedures: Reducing the paperwork involved in enrolling will go a long way in encouraging participation among unorganized sector workers.
Reducing bureaucratic delays: Faster processing times for applications, coupled with timely payments to intermediaries, ensure that workers do not face unreasonable delays in receiving their benefits.
Conclusion
Social security schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and the Aam Aadmi Bhima Yojana are but a step toward ensuring the financial inclusion and security of the vast unorganized workforce in this country. While both PMJDY and AABY are highly successful in terms of enrolling millions of workers and providing them with basic financial services, both have huge challenges on the ground to bridge the gap between policy and practice. The effective utilization of these programs is still hamstrung by financial illiteracy, bureaucratic delays, lack of infrastructure, and a digital divide mainly in rural and tribal areas.
This, however, requires overcoming a set of more formidable challenges. Media campaigns in regional languages and customs will raise awareness and participation, more so among women and marginalized sections. Sensitization programmes supported at the level of local governance and civil society organizations will help extend outreach and convey benefits. More so, reducing the digital divide with mobile-based services and simplifying the bureaucratic processes will make these schemes more accessible for workers in the unorganized sector.
The only sure guarantee for these programs to reach the workers they are designed to protect will be a commitment to address these issues. With focused efforts, India can give its unorganized workforce the strength to be less vulnerable, as well as its general socio-economic development.