2 months ago
1
A Parliamentary sheet connected Tuesday (March 17, 2026) recommended an urgent, broad reappraisal of the ₹1,000 minimum monthly pension nether the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995, to rise it to a much realistic and dignified level.
This assumes value successful presumption of pensioners' request to rise the pension to ₹7,500 per month, arsenic ₹1,000 is not capable to marque some ends meet.
Pensioners nether the Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95) tally by the status money assemblage EPFO had besides staged a three-day protestation astatine Jantar Mantar from March 9, for expanding the minimum monthly pension to ₹7,500.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee connected Labour, Textiles and Skill Development, successful its 15th Report connected 'Demands for Grants (2026-27)' of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, noted that the minimum pension of ₹1,000 per period nether the Employees' Pension Scheme, 1995, has remained unchanged for a sizeable play of clip contempt the rising outgo of living.
During the people of evidence, the committee observed that galore representations person been received from pensioners seeking an upward revision of the minimum pension, peculiarly considering the fiscal hardships faced by aged and economically susceptible beneficiaries.
The Committee further instrumentality enactment of the submission of the Ministry of Labour and Employment that the Government of India is already extending fiscal enactment towards the Scheme, including the publication of 1.16 per cent for presently serving members of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and the budgetary enactment provided for ensuring the minimum pension of Rs. 1,000 per month.
However, the Committee stated that it is of the considered presumption that the existing minimum pension magnitude is inadequate to conscionable adjacent the basal needs of pensioners, peculiarly successful the contiguous economical script marked by ostentation and rising wellness attraction and surviving expenses.
The Committee, therefore, urge that the Ministry undertake an urgent and broad reappraisal of the minimum pension nether the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995, with a presumption to enhancing it to a much realistic and dignified level.
The Committee further urge that the Ministry research the anticipation of expanding budgetary enactment to the Scheme, truthful arsenic to guarantee that pensioners person a tenable minimum pension commensurate with present-day surviving costs, thereby providing greater societal information and fiscal stableness to lakhs of retired workers covered nether the Scheme.
While appreciating and welcoming the implementation of the Labour Codes, the Committee person recommended the constitution of a Permanent Co-ordination and Interaction Board consisting of representatives of some Centre and States connected priority.
The Board should besides look into the implementation of assorted schemes of the Ministry.
While observing that galore contractual labourers execute duties akin to regular workers but often look delays successful receiving alleviation and compensation aft workplace accidents, the Committee person recommended that timely sum of specified workers nether societal information schemes similar Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) and Employees’ Provident Fund (PF) beryllium ensured..
The Committee person besides urged the Union and State Governments to found mechanisms to show compliance and guarantee punctual disbursement of compensation.
While noting that gig workers play a captious relation successful municipality proviso chains but galore stay extracurricular ceremonial labour registration and societal information frameworks, the Committee person recommended that registration of gig workers by aggregators connected the e-Shram Portal, with registration valid for astatine slightest 1 twelvemonth and continued entree to societal information benefits specified arsenic security and mishap sum beryllium made mandatory.
The Committee person besides urged the Government to see circumstantial provisions for gig and level workers successful labour codes, intelligibly defining aggregator responsibilities and ensuring their publication to workers’ societal information and welfare.
Taking into relationship implementation readiness, support timelines, and past expenditure trends, the Committee person recommended that the Ministry of Labour and Employment germinate a much realistic and evidence-based budgeting model and furnish periodic scheme-wise investigation of BE, RE and Actual Expenditure to amended fiscal discipline.
The Committee person recommended that expenditure relating to awareness, capableness gathering and IT infrastructure for the implementation of the Labour Codes beryllium systematically provided for successful the Budget Estimates itself, on with wide yearly enactment plans and measurable outreach outcomes.
The Committee person urged the Ministry to guarantee expeditious filling of vacancies and adoption of modern mining, inspection/monitoring technologies successful DGMS, peculiarly successful presumption of expanded responsibilities nether the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020.
The Committee person recommended that the Ministry of Labour and Employment, successful coordination with the Ministry of Mines and State Governments, hole a broad database of registered and unregistered mines and instrumentality stringent enactment against amerciable mining operations to safeguard excavation workers’ information and welfare.
The Committee person recommended that the Ministry follow an outcome-based model for planetary practice activities, including mentation of an yearly calendar of engagements and realistic expenditure planning.
The Committee person recommended that the Ministry expedite the revision of the wage ceiling nether the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to grow societal information sum to a larger conception of workers, portion ensuring actuarial soundness and fiscal sustainability of the ESI Fund.
