Section Article

Migrant Workers’ Social Security: A Post-COVID Perspective
Author(s): Bharat Kumar

Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of migrant workers in India revealing the fragile foundations of their social security and welfare systems. Millions of workers employed in the informal economy faced unprecedented challenges including sudden unemployment loss of housing lack of healthcare and the absence of social protection during lockdowns. The mass exodus of migrant laborers from cities to their home villages in 2020 highlighted the structural neglect of this group in policy and governance. Although the crisis prompted significant debates and reforms in social security frameworks gaps remain in implementation and access.