Domestic Workers Survey : a Seven Year Itch ?
Or is this a classic case of :
Ø Left hand does not know what right hand is doing
Ø Replicate – Duplicate – Multiplicate
Context :
First all-India survey on domestic workers kicks off
/ HINDU / 22 Nov 2021
Extract :
The first-ever All-India Survey on Domestic Workers was flagged off by Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday and the Ministry said it would be completed in a year.
The survey, being carried out by the Labour Bureau, was aimed at :
# estimating the number and proportion of domestic workers at the national-level and in the States; # the proportion of domestic workers who live-in / live-out, engaged in informal employment and
Migrant / non-migrant;
# wages of such workers; and
# other socio-economic factors
The survey would also include :
# details of the number of households with live-in/live-out domestic workers and
# the average number of workers engaged by various kinds of households, it stated.
Questionnaire
The questionnaire, which was released by Mr. Yadav at Monday’s ceremony, would include:
# details about the size of the household,
# religion,
# social group,
# monthly consumption expenditure and
# the nature of the dwelling unit.
Information about the domestic workers, including their
# age,
# social group,
# migrant status,
# duration of work and
# type of remuneration, ………………would be collected as well, the Ministry noted.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wages would also be a part of the survey that would cover 37 States and Union Territories, covering 1.5 lakh households in 742 districts. The result of the survey was expected within one year.
Addressing the virtual launch event, Mr. Yadav said this was a first-ever such survey in independent India, which showed the “commitment of the government towards evidence-based, data-
==============================
MY TAKE :
[ 1 ]
Why do I call it a “ Seven Year Itch “ ?
This survey was conceived nearly 7 years ago. Read :
Ø Maid in India ? ……………………………….[ 10 Aug 2015 ]
In this e-mail, I have elaborately listed ( as reported in news report in 2015 ) :
11 Provisions of the proposed “ National Policy for Domestic Workers “
And added ;
# some 28 provisions which that news report did not mention
# what could be likely “ implications “ if such policy were to become a LAW
Ø Waiting to see the Questionnaire …[ 05 Jan 2021 ]
Extract :
I anxiously await to see whether the planned QUESTIONNAIRE covers the following questions that I had envisaged in my following blog / email :
Domestic workers Survey : a Non-Starter ? …………………………..[ 12 Oct 2020 ]
Extract :
DOMESIC WORKERS SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
==============================
[ A ] … EMPLOYER DATA
# Name / Aadhar No / Address / PAN
[ B ] …. “ DOMESTIC WORKERS ENGAGED “ DATA ( separately for each domestic
worker engaged )
# Name of worker / Aadhar No / Address / Gender / Age / Jan Dhan
Account Number / Photo
# Mode of hire ( direct or through some manpower supply agency )
# Working since ( date )
# Whether issued any formal “ appointment letter “
# Monthly salary / Annual Bonus amount
# Mode of salary payment ( Cash / Cheque / Digital transfer to bank
account )
# Number of work-hours in a day
# Work timings
# Lunch-break / Tea break [ whether free lunch provided ]
# Weekly off day
# Paid Holidays per year
# Annual Privilege leave / Sick Leave / Casual Leave / leave without pay [
Maternity leave in case of female workers ]
# Whether Uniform supplied
# Allowances if any ( Click “ Maid-in-India / 10 Aug 2015 “, for the list to
be ticked, YES / NO )
============================
I am afraid, before opening the door to welcome the Surveyor, the house-holder would ask to see the questionnaire
Just a quick / cursory glance and he will say :
“ Thank you but we do not engage ANY domestic workers. My family members do all household chores “
Now you will appreciate, why I am afraid this proposed survey would become a Non-Starter !
Could anything be done to “ motivate / incentivize “ the house-holders to enthusiastically come forward to supply the desired data ?
No solution would be without “ accompanying problems “, but would following suggestion help ?
Surveyor says :
“ Sir / Madam,
Government has just announced ( shows relevant circular from Finance Ministry ) that the total amount of money that you annually pay to your domestic servants ( by way of wages / bonuses / allowances etc ), is tax-deductible from your annual PERSONAL INCOME TAX RETURN
Of course , this exemption is conditional to your making ALL MONTHLY-ANNUAL payments , directly into the JAN DHAN ACCOUNTS of your domestic workers and subject to TDS “
[ 2 ]
Why this could be a classic case of :
Ø Left hand does not know what right hand is doing
Ø Replicate – Duplicate – Multiplicate ?
Some 3 months ago ( on 26 Aug ), Labour Ministry launched a portal e-SHRAM, to compile similar data for 38 crore ( 380 million ) Unorganized Workers ( which also include, DOMESTIC WORKERS as a distinct category )
As of this morning, this portal displays on its DASHBOARD, following figures :
# Total No of registrations……………………………. 8,83, 89,203
# Of these, Domestic Workers…………………….1,53,87,996
# Nos registered Yesterday ( in 1 day )……………..26,87,480
When 17.7 LAKH “ Domestic Worker “ voluntarily registered ONLINE , every single day for past 87 days, then what is the necessity of employing thousands of surveyors to visit 1.5 Lakh households ( out of approx. 30 crore / 300 million households ), over a period of ONE YEAR , to compile the same data MANUALLY, at a cost of hundreds of crores of rupees ?
All that was needed was to add some more relevant / desired “ data fields “, if some one identified himself / herself, as a DOMESTIC WORKER while filling up the form on e-SHRAM portal !
Dear Shri Bhupender Yadavji,
It is still not too late to implement my suggestion and compile the desired data, at no extra cost
And it will take no more than 10 days to modify the software of e-SHRAM portal !
– and save 10 months of efforts ( with prospect of not being able to even analyze that data because of garbage inputs ! )
With regards,
Hemen Parekh / hcp@RcruitGuru.com
Related Readings :
Domestic Workers - Use and Abuse………………………… [ 11 July 2011 ]
CC :
Dear Prof S P Mukherjee ( Head of Expert Committee ) / prof.mukherjee@gmail.com
Professor Rahul Mukherjee / rmuk@iimcal.ac.
Professor Debasis Kundu / kundu@iitk.ac.in
Professor Kalyan Das / kalyanstat@gmail.com
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