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.

PIB

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