Volume 11 - Volume 11
Emphasizing Health Insurance as Social Security System of Unorganized Sector in Maharashtra: The Case of the Ragpickers
Abstract
The Indian economy is categorized into two sectors, namely: organized and unorganized sectors. The
unorganized sector consists of a pivotal part of the Indian economy. Ragpickers are that class of
employees who can be considered as an organized-unorganized labor class. Ragpicking business
entails collecting, sorting, and selling various waste materials, mainly plastics or metals. After doing
all this work, they sell recyclable material to the junkyard dealers at very petty prices, making them
economically poor. Ragpickers are a major contributor to the Indian economy, as they are involved
in recycling. Ragpickers mostly work without being equipped with any protective gear and are
exposed to many health hazards while doing their role. They suffer from occupational risks and are
often found hospitalized paying their bills from their pockets. There are times when they even do not
go to hospitals because of hospital expenses. The paper primarily focuses on analyzing the different
health insurance schemes, which are provided as social security by the Maharashtra Government
and tries to find out the possible loopholes in health insurance policies because of which the
ragpickers are not able to utilize or avail the benefits of the policies for which they are eligible. For
developing a better understanding of the subject, the researcher has conducted an empirical survey
on the ragpickers of Pune. Based on this, the researcher has recommended some policy changes,
which can prove beneficial for the welfare of the Ragpickers.
Paper Details
PaperID: 2562
Author's Name: Daniyal Jadhav, Shashikala Gurpur and Lasya Vyakranam
Volume: Volume 11
Issues: Volume 11
Keywords: Health, Insurance, Maharashtra, Ragpickers, Social security, Unorganized Sector.
Year: 2021
Month: August
Pages: 5285-5305