Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Government of India

Railway Electrification Gains Momentum: 100% Network Electrified in 22 out of 29 States/UT, Work Progressing Rapidly in the Remaining 7 States

 136 Crore Liters Reduction in Traction Fuel Consumption from 2018-19 to 2023-24

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 8:13PM by PIB Delhi

Currently, about 98% of the Indian Railways’ (IR) Broad Gauge (BG) network has been electrified and balance sections have been taken up. Significant progress has been made in railway electrification in recent years, a comparison of electrification before and after 2014 is as follows:

 

 

State wise percentage of tracks already electrified till date are as under:

 

About 96% electrification work of the railway lines situated in Tamil Nadu has been completed. The electrification work in the balance sections situated in Tamil Nadu has been taken up at a cost of  Rs. 444 crore.

CO₂ emissions in transportation by railways as compared to transportation by road is as under:

Further, electrification of railway tracks reduces dependency on fossil fuels, decreased diesel consumption resulting in lower carbon emission. Electrification enables better haulage capacity and higher train speeds, leading to reduced travel time and enhanced efficiency. IR has witnessed reduction in fuel consumption for traction purpose by 136 crore liters during 2023-24 as compared to 2018-19.

Mission 100% Electrification is a highly challenging project, as it involves electrifying railway lines that are already in operation and encountering unforeseen various challenges during execution. To expedite railway electrification work, various steps have been taken by Indian Railways which include among others; formation of Project Monitoring Group (PMG) portal to resolve the constraints being faced during commissioning, ensuring effective project monitoring mechanism, assured funding and enhanced financial powers to field units.

The completion of Electrification project(s) depends on various factors like forest clearances by officials of forest department, shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law & order situation in the area of project(s) site, number of working months in a year for particular project site due to climatic conditions etc. All these factors affect the completion time of the project(s).

This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

(Release ID: 2115511) Visitor Counter : 224

Source: Government of India

Indian Railways to Implement Access Control System with Permanent Holding Areas at 60 Stations

Indian Railways enhances crowd management with wider foot-over-bridges, CCTV surveillance and war rooms

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 8:11PM by PIB Delhi

With a view to handle heavy rush of passengers at stations during festival/Mela periods, limited Access Control System has been experimented by the Railways where during such periods, holding areas were created outside stations and passengers were allowed only when the train came to the platform.

Further, to handle heavy rush of passengers at stations, following decisions have been taken by railways –

1. Permanent holding areas at 60 stations:

1. During the festival season of 2024, holding areas were created outside stations. These waiting areas were able to hold large crowds at Surat, Udhna, Patna and New Delhi. Passengers were allowed only when the train came to the platform.
2. Similar arrangements were made during Mahakumbh at nine stations of Prayag area.
3. Based on the experience of these stations, it has been decided to create permanent waiting areas outside stations at 60 stations across the country, which periodically face heavy crowds.
4. Pilot projects have started at New Delhi, Anand Vihar, Varanasi, Ayodhya, and Ghaziabad stations.
5. With this concept, the sudden crowd will be contained within the waiting area. Passengers will be allowed to go to platforms only when the trains arrive at the platform. This will decongest the stations.

2.         Access control:

1. Complete access control will be initiated at the 60 stations.
2. Passengers with confirmed reserve tickets will be given direct access to the platforms.
3. Passengers without a ticket or with a waiting list ticket will wait in the outside waiting area.
4. All unauthorised entry points will be sealed.

3.         Wider foot-over-bridges (FOB):

1. Two new designs of 12 metre wide (40 feet) and 6 metre wide (20 feet) standard FOB have been developed. These wide FOBs with ramps were very effective in crowd management during Mahakumbh. These new standard wide FOBs will be installed in all the stations.

4.         Cameras:

1. Cameras helped crowd management in a big way during Mahakumbh. A large number of cameras will be installed in all stations and adjoining areas for close monitoring.

5.         War rooms:

1. War rooms at large stations will be developed. Officers of all departments will work in the war room during crowd situations.

6.         New generation communication equipment:

1. Latest design digital communication equipment like walkie-talkies, announcement systems, calling systems will be installed on all heavy crowd stations.

 

7.         New design ID card:

1. All staff and service persons will be given a new design ID card so that only authorised persons can enter the station.

8.         New design uniform for staff:

1. All staff members will be given new design uniforms so that they can be easily identified during a crisis situation.

9.         Upgradation of station director post:

1. All major stations will have a senior officer as station director. All other departments will report to the station director.
2. Station director will get financial empowerment so that he can take on- the-spot decisions for improving the station.

10.       Sale of tickets as per capacity:

1. Station Director will be empowered to control the sale of tickets as per capacity of the station and the available trains.

In addition, for the security arrangements and to streamline passenger flow, station specific plans are made involving all the stakeholders that include Government Railway Police (GRP), Local Police and Local Civil Administration and accordingly action is taken to manage the influx of passengers. Queue System is maintained for hassle free boarding of important trains at originating stations.

GRP & RPF staffs are deployed at foot-over bridges to regulate crowd smoothly in order to avoid stampede like situation during the heavy rush period and render real time assistance to passengers. Intelligence units (CIB/SIB) and plain cloth staff are deployed for collection of information about rush and accordingly arrangements were made associating GRP/Police.

During peak rush periods, when heavy movement of passengers is anticipated, zonal Railways are authorized to restrict entry to stations by stopping issuing of platform tickets except for persons coming to the station just to assist the aged, illiterate and female passengers who are not  in a position to fend themselves at Railway stations.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

(Release ID: 2115507) Visitor Counter : 230

Source: Government of India

Ministry of Rural Development and United Nations Children’s Fund YuWaah Collaborate to Empower Rural Women and Youth

Ministry of Rural Development and UNICEF YuWaah signs a Statement of Intent to empower rural women and youth across India

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 6:50PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) YuWaah have signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) to empower rural women and youth across India. This three-year partnership focuses on creating livelihood opportunities by connecting women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to jobs, self-employment, entrepreneurship, and skill-building initiatives, thereby boosting female labour force participation in rural areas.

        As part of the collaboration, efforts will be made to strengthen digital infrastructure through the establishment of Computer Didi Centers and Didi ki Dukan in five blocks across five states, namely- Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan. This pilot project has the potential to scale up and reach 35 lakh women across more than 7000 blocks after being successful.

      The SOI was signed by Shri T.K. Anil Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoRD, and Ms. Sharada Thapalia, Deputy Representative (Operations), UNICEF India. Speaking at the signing ceremony,

  Shri T.K. Anil Kumar said, “This partnership has come at a very opportune time as it aligns with the Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme announced in the Budget 2025-26. It is particularly significant because nearly one-third of the 10 crore SHG members are youth, who will play a central role in this initiative.”

Ms. Sharada Thapalia said, “MoRD’s extensive network of over 10 crore SHG women serves as a powerful social infrastructure that can be leveraged to reach those who need this opportunity the most.”

 The partnership will also feature innovative initiatives, such as Youth Hub, a cutting-edge aggregator platform for jobs, skilling, and volunteering. Additionally, scalable models will be tested to create thousands of Lakhpati Didis, furthering the Government’s vision of empowering women entrepreneurs.

  Ms. Smriti Sharan, Joint Secretary, MoRD, Dr. Monika, Deputy Secretary, MoRD along with team members of MoRD and UNICEF YuWaah were also present on this occasion.

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MG/RN/KSR

(Release ID: 2115453) Visitor Counter : 356

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 6:39PM by PIB Delhi

Induction ceremony for fourth 25T Bollard Pull (BP) Tug Yuvan was held on 26 Mar 25 at Naval Dockyard (Visakhapatnam) in presence of Cmde Rajeev John, General Manager (Refit) as the Chief Guest.

These Tugs are a part of the contract for construction of six (06) 25T BP Tugs concluded with M/s Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL), Kolkata on 12 Nov 21. These Tugs have been indigenously designed and built in accordance with the relevant Naval Rules and Regulation of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The Shipyard had successfully delivered three of these Tugs which are being utilised by Indian Navy to provide assistance to Naval ships and submarines during berthing, un-berthing and manoeuvring in confined waters. The Tugs will also provide afloat fire-fighting support to ships alongside or at anchorage and will also have the capability to conduct limited Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations.

These Tugs are proud flag bearers of Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives of Government of India.

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VM/SPS                                                                                                        66/25

(Release ID: 2115444) Visitor Counter : 460

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 6:30PM by PIB Delhi

Chief of Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi has highlighted the evolving nature of warfare, the strategic challenges facing India and the need for jointness and synergy among the armed forces. He was addressing the student officers from the Indian Armed Forces undergoing the 80^th Staff Course and the permanent staff at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

COAS commended DSSC for its pivotal role in grooming future military leaders and emphasised the importance of professional military education in enhancing operational preparedness and decision making capabilities.

The COAS underscored the significance of leadership, adaptability and technological integration in modern warfare. He urged officers to remain proactive in their approach to emerging security threats and to embrace innovation in military planning and operations.

During his visit, COAS also interacted with faculty members, discussing key aspects of military strategy, operational art and leadership development. He acknowledged the institution’s contributions in fostering inter service cooperation and strengthening India’s defence preparedness.

Gen Dwivedi was briefed by Commandant DSSC Lt Gen Virendra Vats, on the adaptation of the Staff Course curriculum to align to the challenges of Future Wars, with special reference to the activities of the first Deep Purple Division, wherein 40 tri-services officers have undergone their training.

The COAS also interacted with the Veterans of Wellington Military station and recognised their contributions with the ‘veteran Achievers Award’.

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SR/Anand

(Release ID: 2115429) Visitor Counter : 1272

Source: Government of India

3rd Session of India-Uganda Joint Trade Committee held in New Delhi

India and Uganda to explore MoUs in key sectors including Public Works, Agriculture, Traditional Medicine, and Tele-medicine

Both sides identify key areas to boost bilateral trade, including minerals, coffee, pulses, spices, and dairy products

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 6:22PM by PIB Delhi

The Third Session of the India-Uganda Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held in New Delhi on 25th-26th March 2025. The session marked a significant step in strengthening India-Uganda trade relations after a gap of 23 years. Both sides reviewed the bilateral trade and agreed that the current trade volume does not reflect the full potential of economic collaboration. They resolved to take concerted efforts to enhance, deepen, and diversify bilateral trade. Discussions were also held on the formation of an India-Uganda Joint Business Forum to facilitate increased engagement between industry leaders from both nations.

Key areas identified for enhancing cooperation included minerals, coffee, cocoa products, pulses, residual chemical and allied products, spices, dairy products, essential oils, plastic raw materials, fruits, and vegetables, as well as mining, banking, digital infrastructure, agriculture, MSME growth, health, pharmaceuticals, electric vehicles, and critical minerals, including Rare Earth Elements (REE) and petrochemicals. Both sides also agreed to strengthen collaboration between their respective investment promotion agencies. Additionally, both sides agreed to explore Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for the recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia and cooperation in Public Works and Infrastructure Development, Agriculture and Allied sectors, Traditional Medicine, Tele-medicine, and strengthening collaboration in Standardization.

Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Shri Ajay Bhadoo addressed the inaugural session and emphasized the strong bilateral ties between India and Uganda. He highlighted the growing trade and investment partnership and underscored the importance of collaboration in key sectors such as e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, MSME cluster development, solar energy, and rural electrification.

The JTC was co-chaired by Economic Adviser, Department of Commerce of Ms. Priya P. Nair, from the Indian side, Head of International Political Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Uganda, Amb. Elly Kamahungye Kafeero, He was accompanied by Amb. Prof. Joyce Kikafunda Kakuramatsi, Head of Mission, Uganda High Commission, New Delhi, along with a 28-member Ugandan delegation comprising officials from various ministries and Uganda’s Mission in India. The discussions were held in a cordial and cooperative atmosphere, with both sides expressing enthusiasm for expanding trade and investment.

On the sidelines of the JTC, the Ugandan delegation visited the Noida SEZ to gain insights into India’s industrial and export ecosystem. The deliberations at the 3rd Session of the India-Uganda JTC were forward-looking and indicative of the strong and amicable relations between the two nations.

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Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas

(Release ID: 2115418) Visitor Counter : 328

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 6:21PM by PIB Delhi

The policies of the Government are aimed at ensuring an Open, Safe and Trusted and Accountable Internet for its users. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is designated as the national agency under the provisions of section 70B of the Information Technology Act, 2000 for responding to cyber security incidents. On observing cyber security incidents including breaches, CERT-In advises remedial measures to concerned organisations.

As per the Information Technology Act, 2000 (“IT Act”), Critical Information Infrastructure means computer resource whose incapacitation or destruction has debilitating impact on, inter alia, national security. The National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) has been notified as the national nodal agency under the provisions of section 70A of IT Act for Critical Information Infrastructure Protection. NCIIPC has informed that revealing details regarding cybersecurity breaches on critical infrastructure would not be in the interest of the national security.

The Government has taken following initiatives to enhance cybersecurity preparedness in the country which, inter alia, includes:    

1. National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) to ensure coordination amongst different agencies.

• ii. National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) implemented by the CERT-In serves as the control room to scan the cyberspace in the country and detect cyber security threats. NCCC facilitates coordination among different agencies by sharing with them the metadata from cyberspace for taking actions to mitigate cyber security threats.

3. Cyber Swachhta Kendra (CSK) is a citizen-centric service provided by CERT-In, which extends the vision of Swachh Bharat to the Cyber Space. Cyber Swachhta Kendra is the Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre and helps to detect malicious programs and provides free tools to remove the same. It also provides cyber security tips and best practices for citizens and organisations.
4. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has created Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) to deal with cybercrimes in a coordinated and effective manner.
5. CERT-In operates an automated cyber threat intelligence exchange platform for proactively collecting, analysing and sharing tailored alerts with organisations across sectors for proactive threat mitigation actions by them.
6. CERT-In has formulated a Cyber Crisis Management Plan for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism for implementation by all Ministries/ Departments of Central Government, State Governments and their organizations and critical sectors.
7. Cyber security mock drills are conducted regularly to enable assessment of cyber security posture and preparedness of organisations and enhance resilience in Government and critical sectors. 109 such drills have so far been conducted by CERT-In where 1438 organizations from different States and sectors participated.
8. CERT-In issues alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats/vulnerabilities and countermeasures to protect computers, mobile phones, networks and data on an ongoing basis.
9. CERT-In has empanelled 200 security auditing organisations to support and audit implementation of Information Security Best Practices.
10. CERT-In issued guidelines on information security practices for government entities in June 2023 covering domains such as data security, network security, identity and access management, application security, third-party outsourcing, hardening procedures, security monitoring, incident management and security auditing.
11. CERT-In issued Guidelines for Secure Application Design, Development, and Implementation & Operations in September 2023. CERT-In has also released the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) guidelines for entities, particularly those in the public sector, government, essential services, organizations involved in software export and software services industry in October 2024 to help organizations know exactly what components are in their software or assets, making it easier to identify and fix vulnerabilities.
12. CERT-In conducts regular training programmes for network and system administrators and Chief Information Security Officers of government and critical sector organisations regarding securing information technology infrastructure and mitigating cyber-attacks. A total of 12,014 officials have been trained in 23 training programs in 2024.
13. CERT-In regularly conducts various activities for awareness and citizen sensitization with respect to cyber-attacks and cyber frauds.
14. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology conducts programmes to generate information security awareness. Awareness material in the form of handbooks, short videos, posters, brochures, cartoon stories for children, advisories, etc. on various aspects of cyber hygiene & cyber security including deepfakes are disseminated through portals such as www.staysafeonline.in,www.infosecawareness.in and www.csk.gov.in.

Government has taken following measures to strengthen cooperation with private sector companies and international partners and stakeholders to combat cyber threats, which, inter-alia, includes:

• i. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) initiated Cyber Surakshit Bharat (CSB) programme in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode to educate & enable the Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) & broader IT community of Central/State Governments, Banks and PSUs to address the challenges of cyber security.

2. MeitY has set up National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Cyber Security in collaboration with Data Security Council of India. NCoE’s primary objective is to make coordinated efforts to catalyze and accelerate cybersecurity technology development and entrepreneurship in the country.
3. CERT-In collaborates with product and cyber security companies for cyber threat information exchange, development of best practices and capacity building. CERT-In conducts joint cyber security training programs in collaboration with Industry partners to upskill the cyber security workforce in Government, Public and private organizations with the latest skills.
4. CERT-In co-operates, works and coordinates incident response measures with international CERTs and service providers including private sector companies.
5. CERT-In is an accredited member of Task Force for Computer Security Incident Response Teams / Trusted Introducer. CERT-In is an operational member of Asia Pacific Computer Emergency Response Teams, a regional forum for Internet security in the Asia-Pacific region. CERT-In is a member of Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), a global forum for cyber security teams.
6. CERT-In has entered into cooperation arrangements in the form of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its overseas counterpart agencies for collaborating in the area of cyber security. At present such Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) have been signed with Bangladesh, Egypt, Estonia, Japan, Maldives, Russia, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology Shri Jitin Prasada in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/ Navin Sreejith

(Release ID: 2115416) Visitor Counter : 317

Source: Government of India

Government Strengthens Regulations for Online Gaming to Ensure Transparency and User Safety

MeitY has issued 1410 blocking directions related to online betting/gambling/gaming websites between the year 2022- 25

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 6:20PM by PIB Delhi

The policies of the Central Government are aimed at ensuring an open, safe, trusted and accountable Internet for its users. To help achieve this aim, the Central Government has taken suitable steps to regulate financial transactions and user data protection for digital platforms, including online gaming platforms.

To bring certainty in the levy of income tax in online gaming sector, Government vide Finance Act, 2023 has introduced income tax at the rate of thirty per cent on the net winnings in the online games with effect from assessment year 2024-25.

In addition, Government has introduced GST at the rate of 28% in online gaming from 1st October, 2023. The supplier of online money gaming shall obtain a single registration under the Simplified Registration Scheme referred to in the Integrated Good and Services Tax Act, 2017 (“IGST Act”).

The suppliers of offshore online money gaming are also being regulated under IGST Act.

The Directorate General of GST Intelligence Headquarters is empowered as appropriate government/agency under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (“IT Act”) and the IGST Act to direct intermediaries to block unregistered online money gaming platforms including offshore online money gaming platforms violating the IGST Act.

“Betting and gambling” is a state subject under entry 34 of the List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution and state legislations define betting and gambling related offences. Therefore, as per the provisions of article 246 read with article 162 of the Constitution, State Legislatures have power to legislate on matters related to betting and gambling.

Further ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. The States/UTs are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes including for action on illegal betting and gambling through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).

Accordingly, State police departments take preventive and penal action as per law in respect of illegal betting and gambling. The Central Government supplements the initiatives of the States/UTs through advisories and financial assistance under various schemes for capacity building of their LEAs.

Section 112(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (“BNS”) which came into effect from July 1, 2024, punishes unauthorised betting and gambling with minimum 1 year of imprisonment that may extend to 7 years and with fine.

With regard to the protection of personal data, under the IT Act, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 has been notified prescribing reasonable security practices and procedures on the sensitive personal data or information.

Further, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 has been enacted which provides for the legal framework for data protection and mandates Data Fiduciaries to implement security safeguards as well as robust technical and organisational measures while processing the digital personal data.

Further, the IT Act penalises various offences relating to computer resources, including tampering with computer source documents, dishonestly or fraudulently damaging computer system, identity theft, cheating by impersonation, cyber terrorism, securing unauthorised access to protected system etc.

Further, the IT Act has provisions to issue blocking orders to intermediaries for blocking access to specific information/ link in the interest of sovereignty and integrity, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing to the incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above  following the due process as envisaged in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information for Public) Rules, 2009.

MeitY has issued 1410 blocking directions related to online betting/gambling/gaming websites (including mobile applications) between the year 2022- 25 (till February, 2025).

The Ministry of Home Affairs (“MHA”) has established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (“I4C”) to provide a framework and eco-system for LEAs to deal with cyber-crimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.

MHA has also launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (https://cybercrime.gov.in) to enable the public to report all types of cyber-crimes including cyber financial frauds. Cybercrime incidents reported on this portal are routed to the respective State/UT law enforcement agency for further handling as per the provisions of law. The portal has distinct mechanisms for registering complaints related to financial frauds.

A tollfree Helpline number ‘1930’ has been operationalised to get assistance in lodging online complaints.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the MHA compiles and publishes statistical data on crimes in its publication “Crime in India”. NCRB maintains the data provided by various state governments and central law enforcement agencies.

With regard to addiction to online games, the Ministry of Education has issued an advisory for parents & teachers on “Overcoming online gaming downsides” and “Children’s safe online gaming”.

In addition, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has also issued advisory to all private satellite television channels on ‘Advertisements on Online Games, Fantasy Sports, etc.’, advising all broadcasters that the guidelines issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) be complied with and that the advertisements broadcast on television adhere to the same. The guidelines includes that every gaming advertisement must carry the disclaimer in line with ASCI code in print/static media as well as audio/video forms indicating that this game involves an element of financial risk and may be addictive.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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Dharmendra Tewari/ Navin Sreejith

(Release ID: 2115414) Visitor Counter : 319

Source: Government of India

Ministry of Electronics & IT

India’s IT Industry Registers Significant Growth in Last Decade:  Projected to Reach $283 Billion in 2024-25

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 6:19PM by PIB Delhi

(Release ID: 2115413)

Source: Government of India

India’s Social Security Coverage Doubles

Coverage reaches 48.8% in 2024, up from 24.4% in 2021, says ILO report

Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 5:51PM by PIB Delhi

Summary

 

Introduction

India’s social protection coverage has doubled from 24.4% in 2021 to 48.8% in 2024, marking a significant expansion in welfare reach, according to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) World Social Protection Report (WSPR) 2024-26. The report attributes this progress to key government initiatives, which have extended benefits such as health insurance, pensions, and employment support to millions.

As per Ministry of Labour and Employment, nearly 920 million people, or 65% of the population, are now covered by at least one form of social protection, whether in cash or in-kind, through central government schemes. India’s advancements have also contributed to a 5-percentage point increase in global social protection coverage, underscoring its role in shaping welfare outcomes at an international level.

 

Overview of the Report

The World Social Protection Report is a comprehensive assessment published periodically by the International Labour Organization (ILO), a specialised agency of the United Nations dedicated to labour rights and social justice. The report evaluates social protection systems globally, examining their coverage, effectiveness, and progress in ensuring social security for diverse populations. By offering a detailed analysis of policies and trends, it serves as a key resource for governments, policymakers, and researchers working towards stronger and more inclusive welfare systems.

             

The 2024–26 edition of the report is centred on universal social protection for climate action and a just transition. For the first time, it incorporates trend data, providing a more dynamic perspective on global progress. It presents an extensive set of global, regional, and country-level statistics on social protection coverage, benefits provided, and public expenditure. Additionally, a regional companion report for Asia and the Pacific supplements the global findings by offering a deeper analysis of social protection developments in the region. This companion report highlights key challenges, priorities, and the intersection of social protection and climate action, considering the unique socio-economic and environmental conditions of Asia and the Pacific.

 

Expanding Social Security: Key Government Initiatives

India’s social protection system has expanded significantly through various welfare programmes aimed at providing financial security, healthcare, and food assistance to millions. These initiatives have played a crucial role in improving livelihoods and reducing poverty across the country.

Here are some key social security schemes and initiatives:

 

India Launches Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise

The ILO’s assessment of 48.8% may not fully capture India’s social security landscape, as it does not account for in-kind benefits such as food security and housing support or state-administered welfare schemes. With the integration of these factors, India’s actual social protection coverage is expected to be considerably higher, reflecting ongoing reforms and data consolidation efforts.

The Ministry of Labour & Employment launched Phase 01 of India’s Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise on March 19, 2025, to create a comprehensive assessment of social security coverage. The initiative aims to consolidate data from multiple schemes for a more holistic picture of India’s welfare landscape. In the first phase, ten states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Gujarat, have been identified for data consolidation at the central level.

Building on these efforts, India has already processed over 200 crore records by using encrypted Aadhaar as a unique identifier across 34 major central schemes, including Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN).

The Ministry has been engaging in a high-level dialogue with the ILO to ensure these additional welfare measures are reflected in future assessments. During a recent bilateral discussion at the 353rd ILO Governing Body meeting in Geneva, the ILO acknowledged that housing and food security are part of an extended set of indicators under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and has agreed to consider such schemes in its evaluations.

With continued collaboration between the Centre, State Governments and ILO, India is set to further refine its social protection framework and present a more accurate picture of its welfare reach.

Conclusion

India’s strides in expanding social protection reflect a strong commitment to inclusive welfare and economic security. The doubling of coverage, as highlighted in the International Labour Organization’s World Social Protection Report 2024–26, underscores the impact of key initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, PMGKAY, and the eShram portal in ensuring financial stability, healthcare, and food security for millions. The launch of the Social Protection Data Pooling Exercise further strengthens these efforts by enhancing data-driven policymaking and addressing gaps in existing assessments. As India continues to refine its social security framework in collaboration with the ILO, its approach serves as a model for balancing welfare expansion with economic growth.

 

References:

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Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Saurabh Kalia

(Release ID: 2115391) Visitor Counter : 439