The Ministry of Labour and Employment, through the Directorate General of Labour Welfare (DGLW), is implementing welfare schemes benefiting over 5 million unorganized workers and their families in India, specifically in the Beedi, Cine, and Mining sectors. These schemes, administered by the Labour Welfare Organisation (LWO) via 18 Welfare Commissioners, focus on social protection, health services, education assistance, and housing support. Key initiatives include the Education Assistance Scheme, providing scholarships to workers' children through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), and the Health Scheme, offering outpatient services and financial aid for critical illnesses. While the Revised Integrated Housing Scheme (RIHS) has been integrated with the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the Ministry is disbursing pending installments. The Ministry aims to enhance accessibility and effectiveness of these welfare programs in the future.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Labour Employment: Government ministry responsible for labour and employment policies.
Directorate General of Labour Welfare DGLW: An organization under the Ministry of Labour Employment responsible for implementing welfare schemes.
India: The country where the welfare schemes are being implemented.
Beedi: A type of cigarette, the Beedi sector is a target for welfare schemes.
Cine: The Cinema sector, a target for welfare schemes.
Mining: The Mining sector, a target for welfare schemes.
Labour Welfare Organisation LWO: An organization functioning under DGLW that administers welfare schemes.
Welfare Commissioners: Individuals overseeing the implementation of welfare schemes at the regional level.
Education Assistance Scheme: A scheme providing scholarships to the children of workers in specific sectors.
National Scholarship Portal NSP: Portal used for implementing the Education Assistance Scheme.
Direct Benefit Transfer DBT: Method used to disburse funds transparently and timely.
Health Scheme: Scheme that includes outpatient services and reimbursement for specialized treatments.
Revised Integrated Housing Scheme RIHS: A housing scheme that has been sunset and merged with Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana PMAY: A housing scheme with which RIHS has been merged.
Manish Gautam: Individual associated with the release (possibly a contact or author).
Divyanshu Kumar: Individual associated with the release (possibly a contact or author).
Anjelina Alexander: Individual associated with the release (possibly a contact or author).
Ministry of Labour & Employment
Labour Welfare Schemes Extend Support to Over 50
Lakh Unorganised Workers Across India
From Welfare to Empowerment: 11 Years of
Milestone Reforms in Labour Welfare Under Modi
Government
Posted On: 17 JUN 2025 12:53PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Labour & Employment, through the Directorate General of Labour Welfare (DGLW),
continues to implement a range of welfare schemes dedicated to improving the lives of unorganised workers
in India, particularly in the Beedi, Cine, and Mining sectors. With a direct impact on over 50 lakh workers and
their families, these schemes form a cornerstone of the government’s inclusive and compassionate labour
welfare strategy.
The Labour Welfare Organisation (LWO), functioning under DGLW, administers these schemes across the
country through a well-coordinated network of 18 Welfare Commissioners, who oversee implementation at
the regional level. The overarching goal is to provide social protection, health services, financial assistance for
education, and housing support to workers often located in remote and underserved regions.
One of the key components of the welfare framework is the Education Assistance Scheme, which provides
annual scholarships ranging from ₹1,000 to ₹25,000 for the wards of Beedi, Cine, and non-coal mine workers.
The scheme, implemented via the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), receives over one lakh applications
every year, with direct benefit transfer (DBT) ensuring transparent and timely disbursement.
Healthcare support under the Health Scheme includes outpatient services through a national network of
dispensaries, as well as reimbursement for specialized treatments for critical illnesses such as heart disease,
kidney transplantation, cancer, tuberculosis, and minor surgeries. The financial assistance ranges from
₹30,000 for minor surgeries to ₹7.5 lakh for cancer treatment, ensuring access to life-saving healthcare for
low-income workers.
Although the Revised Integrated Housing Scheme (RIHS) introduced in 2016 has now been sunset and
merged with Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the Ministry continues to disburse pending installments
to eligible beneficiaries until 31 March 2024, honoring the government’s commitment to housing dignity forall.
These targeted schemes not only improve the quality of life and social security of unorganised sector workers
but also underscore the government’s vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas in action.
The Ministry reaffirms its dedication to welfare-driven governance and will continue to strengthen the
framework to make it more accessible, technology-enabled, and outcome-focused in the coming years.
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Manish Gautam/Divyanshu Kumar/Anjelina Alexander
(Release ID: 2136882)