Annexure

Annexure referred to Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2858 for answer on 20.02.2014 regarding “Safety and Welfare of Indians abroad”

(i) Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojana (PBBY)

The Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojana is a compulsory insurance scheme for overseas Indian workers having Emigration Check Required (ECR) passport going to ECR countries. Under PBBY the maximum sum for which an overseas Indian worker is insured is Rs. 10 lakh. It provides for Hospitalization (Medical Expenses) covering Rs. 75,000, covers Family Hospitalization in India upto Rs. 50,000, Maternity for a sum of Rs. 25,000 and Legal Expenses Rs. 30,000, a cover of actual of one-way economy class airfare for repatriation for medically unfit. The Premium to be charged under PBBY is Rs. 275 for 2 years policy period and Rs. 375 for 3 years policy period.

(ii) Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Surakha Yojana (MGPSY):

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) has launched Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana (MGPSY). It is a voluntary social security scheme for Indian workers, having Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports and who have emigrated overseas or are in the process of emigrating to one of the 17 ECR Countries.

The aim of MGPSY is to encourage and enable eligible overseas Indian workers, to (a) save for their return and resettlement (b) save for their pension and (c) automatically obtain a life insurance cover against death& disability during the period of insurance. The main features of the scheme are:

(a) Government provides contribution of Rs. 1000 per annum per subscriber to subscribers who save between Rs. 1000 and Rs. 12000 per year towards their pension. An additional Government contribution of Rs. 1000 per annum will be provided by MOIA for the women subscribers who meet the above criteria. (b) Subscribers will also get another contribution of Rs. 1000 per annum from the ‘Swavalamban’ scheme of Government of India. (c) An annual Government contribution of Rs. 900 per annum by MOIA is also provided to all eligible subscribers who save at least Rs. 4000 per annum towards Return and Resettlement fund.

Life Insurance cover is provided to all subscribers who join MGPSY.

The Government contribution is available for a period of five years or till the return of the subscribed worker back to India which ever is earlier.

Contd…2/-

-2-

(iii) Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF)

The ‘Indian Community Welfare Fund’ (ICWF) meets contingent expenditure for Overseas Indian Citizens who are in distress through the Indian Missions. The ICWF is used for providing relief such as: boarding and lodging, emergency medical care and air passage to stranded Overseas Indians, initial legal assistance, payment of small fines/ penalties for the release of Indian nationals in Jail/detention centre etc.

So far, over 28,421 overseas Indians benefited from ICWF and an amount of Rs. 50.98 crore has been spent.

(iv) Voting Rights for NRIs

The Representation of People Act was amended in 2010 to give voting rights to NRIs, i.e. Indian passport holders residing abroad.

(v) A 24x7 toll-free helpline viz. Overseas Workers Resource Centre (OWRC) has been set up in Delhi to enable emigrants/ prospective emigrants to seek information and file complaints against Recruiting Agents/ Foreign Employers. Migration Resource Centres (MRCs) at Cochin (Kerala), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) and Panchkula (Haryana) have been set up.

(vi) A Nation-wide Awareness-cum-Publicity Campaign is undertaken through electronic and print Media to educate potential emigrants about benefits/ hazards of legal/illegal migration respectively.

(vii) In case of ECR passport holders going for employment, security stickers are pasted on the passport giving information about the RAs, name of foreign employer, occupation, wages, insurance policy number, passport/visa number and the helpline number.

(viii) Pre-attestation of employment documents by the Indian Mission concerned is mandatory in respect of vulnerable category of jobs/housemaids.

(ix) The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has signed Bilateral Agreement / Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) on labour with Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia and Bahrain for ensuring protection and welfare of our emigrants. An Agreement on Labour Co-operation for Domestic Services Workers Recruitment has been signed with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

(x) For redressal of grievances the Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC) was set up at Dubai which functions as a 24X7 toll free multiple helpline. Other Missions also operate helpline/help desk to attend to grievances of Indian Nationals.

Contd…3/-

-3-

(xi) The following additional measures are taken for protecting women workers of the ECR (Emigration Check Required) category who emigrate to 17 notified countries:

(a) Age restriction of 30 years for women emigrating on ECR passports to ECR countries.

(b) Minimum referral wage as fixed by Mission for emigrants.

(c) Security deposit of US$ 2500 to be paid by foreign employer

(d) Compulsory pre-attestation of employment documents by the Indian Mission concerned for all women emigrants.

(e) Pre-paid mobile phone facility for Housemaids to be provided by foreign employer.

*****