Social Security

A survey of all particularly vulnerable tribal group households in two blocks of Jharkhand reveals that their lives remain precarious due to disrupted livelihoods, limited access to education and other public services, and continued exploitation. The public distribution system has become a crucial source of support for them: most such households have ration cards and receive the bulk of their monthly food rations. Social security pensions also help, but exclusion rates are higher, and they have recently been disrupted by Aadhaar-related problems, as have a range of other schemes. Yet, despite these useful social security measures, food insecurity remains common among PVTGs.

The Social Security Code, 2020 and the rules framed thereunder raise a number of issues regarding the working of the new legislation, which is the focus of the article. A major problem is the complex provisions that allow for dual authorities and overlapping of zones. Integration of the new code with the ongoing social security programmes and financing of new ones are other issues discussed.

Given that a majority of India’s elderly population lacks adequate social security or old-age pension, India needs a robust social security system that addresses decisive ageing challenges such as decent living arrangements, economic independence and social support to ensure active ageing. India needs to facilitate interstate convergence in old-age pensions under social security schemes for the elderly population, and revisit and re-evaluate existing multisectoral policy initiatives aimed towards their welfare.

The paper “Eliminating Poverty in Bihar: Paradoxes, Bottlenecks and Solutions” is near perfect in terms of the issues raised. But there is a need to go beyond focusing on the economic and infrastructural aspects of development. A complex society like Bihar needs a revolution in terms of bureaucratic restructuring, remittance-based planning, and promotion of an entrepreneurial culture.

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