Why in News?

• The Employee’s State Insurance (ESI) has approved a scheme named ‘Atal BimitVyaktiKalyanYojna’ for Insured Persons (IP) covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948.

Atal BimitVyaktiKalyanYojna (ABVKY):

• The change in employment pattern and the current scenario in India which has transformed from a long term to fixed short term engagement in the form of contract is considerable.
• Taking this into account ESI has approved ABVKY for Insured Persons (IP) covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948.
•  This scheme is a relief payable in cash directly to their Bank Account in case of unemployment and while they search for new engagement.
•  ESI has approved the proposal for reimbursement of Rs. 10/- per person to the employers to encourage the seeding of Aadhar (UID) in ESIC database of their workers and their family members.
•  It will curtail the multiple registrations of same Insured Persons and thus enable them to avail the benefits requiring longer contributory conditions.

Other Initiatives of ESIC:

• ESIC has approved the proposal for relaxing the eligibility conditions for availing Super Specialty treatment from earlier insurable employment of 2 years to 06 months with contribution requirement of only 78 days.
• Besides, the eligibility for availing Super Specialty treatment for dependents of Insured Person has now been relaxed to insurable employment of one year with 156 days of contributions.
• This relaxation will immensely help the Insured Persons and their beneficiaries to avail Super Specialty treatment free of cost as per revised eligibility.
• ESI Corporation has approved the proposal for increasing the Funeral Expenses from existing Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 15,000/- being paid on the death of Insured Person.

ESI:

•  ESI is self-financing social security and health insurance scheme for Indian workers.
•   It is autonomous corporation by statutory creation under Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
• It is managed by Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) according to rules and regulations stipulated there in the ESI Act 1948.