New Delhi: India is providing health security through the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to 25 crore people, Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday, highlighting the scale of the government’s social security and welfare programmes.
Speaking at the CII-EFI National Conference on Industrial Relations and Labour & Awards 2026 here, Mandaviya said the government was also providing free food grains to 80 crore people.
He said 10 crore farmers receive Rs 2,000 every four months through direct transfers into their bank accounts.
“Today, there are 10 states in the country that deposit amounts such as Rs 2,000, Rs 1,500 or Rs 1,200 every month into the accounts of women,” the minister said.
The minister was speaking on industrial relations and the balance between international labour practices and India’s own traditions and systems.
“When we talk about industrial relations … on one hand ILO’s international practices, international frameworks, and on the other hand India’s own traditions and its relationships, it feels a bit different to me,” he said.
Mandaviya said his experience of serving as a minister across several ministries over the past 10-11 years had given him an opportunity to engage with platforms and stakeholders in India and abroad.
He said India’s approach to industrial relations needed to take into account both international frameworks and the country’s own social and economic context.
Earlier in September, the minister urged state governments to undertake a detailed assessment of the current utilisation of cess funds, identify gaps and explore new avenues for their effective utilisation, keeping in view the long-term welfare and social security of workers.
The minister also called upon states to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the Labour Codes after one year of their implementation and identify areas where more effective execution may be required. He emphasised the need for workshops and orientation programmes for labour law practitioners to facilitate effective implementation of the Codes in letter and spirit.
(IANS)
