**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2660, answered on December 16, 2025, regarding social security schemes in border panchayats. It outlines the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) scheme and other initiatives. The document highlights eligibility criteria, contribution details, and enrollment procedures for the PM-SYM scheme, as well as ESIC registration and skill development programs.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) Scheme:**
* Launched in February 2019 to provide old age protection to unorganized sector workers, including casual labourers and daily-wage workers.
* Provides a monthly assured pension of Rs. 3000/- to unorganized workers after attaining the age of 60 years.
* Eligibility: Workers aged 18 to 40 years with a monthly income of Rs. 15000/- or less, who are not members of EPFO/ESIC/NPS (Govt. funded).
* Contribution: Monthly contribution ranges from Rs. 55/- to Rs. 200/-, depending on the entry age, with a matching contribution from the Central Government.
* Enrollment: Done through Common Service Centres.
* **ESIC Registration Scheme (SPREE):**
* Launched to create awareness about ESIC coverage and provide a one-time opportunity for uncovered employers to register.
* Allows employers to register units under ESIC without submitting previous records or to register new employees for already covered units.
* **Other Livelihood and Insurance Schemes:**
* The Government is implementing various schemes including PM Vishwakarma, PMSVANidhi, National Rural Livelihood Mission, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
* **Skill Development and Awareness:**
* eShram portal is integrated with Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) Portal for skill development programs.
* Awareness drives are conducted through various centrally-assisted livelihood and insurance-linked schemes.
* **Financial Inclusion Campaign:**
* A nationwide campaign was launched by the Department of Financial Services.
* The campaign focuses on Re-KYC, opening of PMJDY accounts, enrollments under PMJJBY, PMSBY and APY.
* **Expenditure and Registration in PM-SYM:**
* 2024-25: Expenditure - Rs. 232.11 crores, Registrations - 1,27,436.
* 2025-26 (Till 11.12.2025): Expenditure - Rs. 127.60 crores, Registrations - 61,640 (Till 10.12.2025).
**Impact Analysis**
**Unorganized Sector Workers (18-40 years with income ≤ Rs. 15,000)**
* **Impact:** Increased access to old age protection through the PM-SYM scheme, skill development opportunities via e-Shram and SIDH portals, and benefits from other livelihood and insurance schemes.
* **Action Required:** Enroll in the PM-SYM scheme through Common Service Centres or self-enroll online.
**Uncovered Employers in all States**
* **Impact:** Opportunity to register under ESIC without submitting previous records.
* **Action Required:** Register units under ESIC through the SPREE scheme.
**Implementing Agencies (State Governments, Banks, Insurance Institutions, Field-Level Functionaries)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for conducting awareness drives for centrally-assisted schemes and achieving saturation of financial inclusion.
* **Action Required:** Carry out awareness activities, facilitate enrollments in relevant schemes, and ensure effective implementation of the financial inclusion campaign.
Key Entities Referenced
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM): A voluntary and contributory pension scheme launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) to provide old age protection to workers in the unorganized sector.
Ministry of Rural Development: The primary ministry responsible for answering questions related to social security schemes for casual labourers and daily-wage workers in border panchayats.
ESIC: The Employees' State Insurance Corporation, an organization implementing a scheme (SPREE) to register employers and employees, create awareness about coverage, and facilitate registration for previously uncovered employers.
Kasaragod: A district where the government has identified gaps in access to social-security schemes for casual laborers and daily-wage workers in border panchayats.
eShram portal: A portal integrated with the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) Portal, enabling unorganized workers to access skill development programs.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2660
ANSWERED ON 16/12/2025
SOCIAL-SECURITY SCHEMES IN BORDER PANCHAYATS
2660. Shri Rajmohan Unnithan:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has identified gaps in access to social-
security schemes for casual labourers and daily-wage workers
in border panchayats of Kasaragod, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether enrolment drives under centrally-assisted livelihood
and insurance-linked schemes have been undertaken, if so, the
details thereof; and
(c) the number of beneficiaries covered and total payments
released during the last two financial years?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a) & (c): As informed by Ministry of Labour and Employment
(MoLE), Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) scheme
was launched by MoLE in February, 2019 in order to provide old age
protection to the workers of unorganised sector including casual
labourers and daily-wage workers in border panchayats of India. The
scheme is being implemented for all workers of unorganized sector
across the country including Kasaragod. This is a voluntary and
contributory pension scheme. Under the scheme, a monthly assured
pension of Rs. 3000/- is provided to the unorganised workers after
attaining the age of 60 years.
The workers in the age group of 18 to 40 years whose monthly
income is Rs.15000/- or less and not a member of EPFO/ESIC/NPS
(Govt. funded) are eligible to join the scheme. The monthly
contribution amount ranges from Rs. 55/- to Rs. 200/-, depending upon
the entry age of the beneficiary. Under the scheme, 50% monthly
contribution is payable by the beneficiary and equal matching
contribution is paid by the Central Government. Enrollment in the
scheme is done through the Common Service Centres, with its
network of about 4 lakh Centres across the country. Eligible
Page 1 of 2unorganised workers can also self-enrol through visiting the portal
www.maandhan.in .
Actual Expenditure (AE) and registration in the PM-SYM scheme
since 2024-25 is as under:
Sr. Year For PMSYM Amount (Rs. In Registration under PM-
No crores) SYM
1 2024-25 232.11 1,27,436
2 2025-26 127.60 (Till 11.12.2025) 61,640 (Till 10.12.2025)
Total 359.71 1,89,076
(b): The ESIC has launched a scheme for registration of employers
and employees (SPREE) to create awareness about the coverage
under ESIC and to provide a one-time opportunity to all uncovered
employers in all States to register their units under ESIC with the
facility to not submit any previous records or to register new
employees for already covered units.
Government is implementing various livelihood and insurance
schemes for welfare of casual labourers and daily-wage workers – (i)
PM Vishwakarma (ii) PMSVANidhi (iii) National Rural Livelihood
Mission (iv) Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) (v)
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) (vi) Pradhan Mantri
Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) (vii) Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
among others.
To enhance skills and provide apprenticeship opportunities for
unorganised workers, eShram portal has been integrated with the
Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) Portal under the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship. Unorganised workers registered
on the e-Shram portal can now access skill development programs
available on the SIDH portal.
Awareness drives are periodically undertaken under various
centrally-assisted livelihood and insurance-linked schemes. These
activities are carried out by the concerned Ministries and
implementing agencies through State Governments, banks,
insurance institutions and field-level functionaries.
A nationwide campaign was launched by the Department of
Financial Services to achieve saturation of Financial Inclusion
schemes across all Gram Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies
recently. The campaign focuses on Re-KYC, opening of PMJDY
accounts, enrollments under PMJJBY, PMSBY and APY.
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