The Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 is applicable to all factories and establishments, other than seasonal factories, having ten or more employees, drawing wages up to Rs 21,000/- (Rs. 25,000/- for persons with disability).  As such, the Act does not apply to the unorganised sector. 

Various steps taken by ESIC to improve the working of the ESI scheme is mentioned below:

1. 1. Rates of benefits have been enhanced for Permanent Disablement Benefit (PDB)/Dependents’ Benefits (DB) Beneficiaries.
2. 2. Proposal for a new scheme has been approved to cater medical care (including SST) for superannuated beneficiaries who have contributed in ESIC but went out of coverage before superannuation.
3. 3. Online module has been launched for updation/editing the particulars of Insured Persons (IPs) and their family details.
4. 4. Aadhar based authentication of Insured Persons & their family members on voluntary basis has been adopted for providing social security benefits, including medical and cash benefits to beneficiaries.
5. 5. For providing hassle-free services to Insured Persons (IPs)/Insured Women (IW), an online portal/facility has been started for submission of cash benefits claims under ESI scheme.
6. 6. Relaxation in contributory conditions have been made for the Covid period starting from 01.04.2020 to 30.09.2020 by amending the Rule 55(1) & 56(1) of ESI (Central) Rules, 1950 in the year 2023 to remove the hardships faced by various insured persons in getting their maternity benefits/sickness benefits during the Covid period.

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Smt. Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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Himanshu Pathak

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