NHRC, India
7.75 Some of the major recommendations that emanated from the conference are as follows:
•
Centralised Database for Domestic Workers: Ensure establishment of national portal for
registration of domestic workers. Further, the State municipalities or state social welfare
boards may be given the responsibility to regulate such registration and follow the Supreme
Court directive of 31 January 2019 of registering ten percent domestic workers each month.
•
National Policy for Domestic Workers: There should be a National Policy regulating
the holistic working conditions of the domestic workers and this should be done under the
purview of labour laws.
•
Expand the Mandate of Existing Social Security Scheme: The Mandate of the existing
social security schemes like RashtriyaSwasthya BimaYojna and National Health Insurance
Scheme may be expanded and modified to include and address the social and medical
grievances and health consultation of domestic workers.
•
Access to Social and Financial Insurance during Pandemic: During the pandemic,
domestic work should be recognised as ‘essential services’ and social and financial insurance
shall be made available by the registered placement agencies or under Disaster Management
Act, 2005.
•
Unionisation: Ensure registration of domestic workers’ trade unions by the district
municipalities and their subsequent representation in the Welfare Boards.
•
Registration of Employers and imposition of Penalty:The State should make a provision
for the registration of employers along with the domestic workers. Penalties may be imposed
on non-compliant employers.
•
Sensitisation of Law Enforcement Agencies: The law enforcement agencies need to be
sensitised to curb the issue of unnecessary criminal intimidation of domestic workers.
•
Ratification of ILO Convention on Domestic Workers, 2011: India should address the
gaps in national legislative framework and subsequently ratify the ILO Convention on
domestic workers.
7.76 The above mentioned recommendations were sent to the concerned Union Ministries/ Departments
and all the States/UTs for taking necessary action on 7 July 2021.
In-House meeting on "Human Rights Issues of Widows residing in shelter homes of MathuraVrindavan and Varanasi "
7.77 An in-house meeting on “Human Rights Issues of Widows residing in shelter homes of MathuraVrindavan and Varanasi " was held on 20 June 2021. It was chaired by Justice Arun Mishra,
Hon’ble Chairperson, NHRC.
7.78 The main issues highlighted during the presentation are as follows:
•
Lack of Infrastructure: Overcrowding, unhygienic living conditions, lack of basic amenities
ANNUAL REPORT
99
2021-22