The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affair launched a scheme named Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana in Dubai. The scheme is a pension and life insurance fund scheme for blue-collar Indian workers in UAE.
What is Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY)?
MGPSY is a special social security scheme for overseas Indian workers who are on temporary work permit in 17 Emigration Check Required (ECR) nations.
Aim: To help the overseas workers to save money for their retirement, their return to India and resettlement and provides life insurance cover against natural death during the period of coverage.
Features of Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY):
- The subscribers of this scheme will be provided home and a life insurance cover for Rs. 1 lakh during their work overseas.
Government of India will contribute up to Rs. 2000 every year for male workers and Rs. 3000 every year to women workers for up to either five years or until the worker returns home, whichever is earlier. It will be added to the Pension and Life Insurance (PLIF) account of each eligible subscriber. - The workers have to contribute between Rs. 1000 and Rs. 12000 per annum towards the pension fund and Rs. 4000 towards the return and resettlement fund. They will derive corresponding benefits when they go back home and during their old age.
- Bank of Baroda is the official banking partner of the scheme to enroll the workers while the Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC) is the support center for Indian workers in UAE.
- The scheme targets to cover 5 million overseas blue collar Indian workers who have the Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) category passports in 17 nations.
What is Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) category?
Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) category passports are issued to those workers who have not passed Grade 10. Around 65% of more than 2 million Indians in the UAE are blue collar workers and most of them are in the ECR category.
What are Blue collar jobs?
Blue collar is a term which is used to refer to wage-earning workers who wear work clothes or other specialized clothing on the job, as miners, mechanics and longshoremen.