Aims and Objectives
There has been a growing informalisation of work over the years and more so in the developing countries. This has led to precarious and insecure forms of work on the one hand and on the other hand safety and protection systems designed for formal workplaces and workers are often inaccessible to informal workers. Thus, greater social and health risks without any safety net is a growing concern. Moreover, in many developing countries, rise in non-standard work has led to growing non-contributory social assistance programmes which are not always adequate for the workers. This has further led to increased vulnerability for majority of the workers in the developing countries.
In India, where a large number of people are poor and depend on the informal sector for their livelihood, providing horizontal equity in terms of social security, health, protection as well as benefits becomes a challenge. In order to address these key issues of social security and health and protection and its inter-linkages with the world of work, the Centre for social and Health Protection Studies has been set up in V.V. Giri National Labour Institute. This specialized Centre focuses on understanding and addressing emerging social and health challenges confronting workers in a globalized economy.
Core Research Areas
- New and precarious forms of employment and emerging social protection risks;
- Labour market transformations and its challenges to social and health security;
- Social insurance and other safety nets for workers in the informal economy.
Specific Researchable Issues
- Understanding the insecurities of workers in informal employment;
- Understanding the safety and health challenges in the informal sector;
- Understanding the coping strategies of workers in informal employment and its impact on their life and livelihood.
Research Advisory Group
- Prof. Ravi Srivastava, former faculty , Jawaharlal Nehru University and currently professor and Director, Centre of Employment Studies, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi
- Prof. Indrani Gupta, Professor and Head of the Health Policy Research Unit of the institute of Economic Growth , Delhi
- Dr. Sakthivel Selvaraj, Director, Health Economics, Financing and Policy, Public Health Foundation of Indian, New Delhi
- Dr. T. K. Joshi, Former Director, Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Lok Nayak Hospital, Delhi
Centre Coordinator