RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-553
ANSWERED ON- 04/12/2025
WELFARE PROGRAMMES FOR INDIAN WORKERS OVERSEAS
553. DR. KANIMOZHI NVN SOMU
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-
(a) the welfare programmes available for Indian workers overseas;
(b) the amount of funds allocated for these programmes during the last five years, year-wise;
(c) the number of workers who have attempted to avail such benefits alongwith the number of those who received them, indicating the countries of their residence;
(d) whether there are plans to expand these programmes in countries with high demand for Indian workers; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a to e) Several measures and steps have been taken by the Government of India to ensure the well being and protection of Indian workers overseas such as Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojna (PBBY) and Pre-Departure Orientation & Training (PDOT). The Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) is a mandatory insurance scheme aimed at safeguarding the interests of ECR category Indian migrant workers going for employment to 19 ECR countries. The scheme provides an insurance cover of INR. 10 lakh and other benefits in case of accidental death or permanent disability leading to job loss, at a nominal insurance premium of INR 275/- for two years or INR 375/- for three years validity. PDOT is a one-day training programme on soft skills imparted by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in collaboration with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), State Governments and other stake holders.
Our Missions/Posts abroad also utilize the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to provide the following services/assistance to the Indian diaspora in distress on a means tested basis:
(i) Transportation of mortal remains to India or cremation with the consent of the family;
(ii) Emergency medical care;
(iii) Legal assistance;
(iv) Boarding and lodging; and
(v) Air passage for stranded Indians.
The Government has established various mechanisms to enable Indian workers abroad to reach out in case they need any assistance. The workers can contact the Missions/Posts through various channels like walk-in, email, multilingual 24x7 emergency numbers, grievance redressal portals like MADAD, CPGRAMS, eMigrate and social media etc.
E-Migrate is a comprehensive system developed to facilitate the safe and legal emigration of Indian workers abroad. This initiative was made to make the emigration process transparent and to address various complaints.
Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSK) have been set up in New Delhi and at Dubai (UAE), Riyadh & Jeddah (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to provide assistance, guidance and counseling to Indian workers in distress.
Indian Missions/Posts abroad have also established 24X7 Helplines including Toll Free Helplines, whatsapp numbers and have launched mobile Apps to enable Indian nationals contact respective Indian Missions/Posts when in distress or in emergency situation.
Apart from these mechanisms, the existing Inter-governmental Labour Migration Agreements cover most of the destination countries of the Indian migrant workforce and provide overarching framework for cooperation on labour and manpower issues. These agreements have the provision of implementation through a Joint Working Group where the issues of the workers are discussed during periodical meetings.
The source of fund of ICWF is fees levied upon consular services in Indian Missions/Posts. Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) is an insurance scheme available to all Indian workers, who are emigrating from India, at a nominal payment to the insurance companies as premium. PDOT is allocated funds from the budget of MEA every year. Number of beneficiaries under ICWF, PBBY, E-migrate, PDOT and the budgetary allocation to PDOT in the last five years is given in Annexure-A.