Question : Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana

(a) the details of emigrants covered under Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY), country-wise, since inception of this Scheme;

(b) the details of the claims settled till date under PBBY since then country wise and the details including the reasons behind the pendency, if any;

(c) the details of professions under Section 2 (O) of Emigration Act to which claimants belong; and

(d) the total amount paid by emigrants as premium and amount of money, so far, settled as claims, country-wise, with particular reference to Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, and Iraq ?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]

(a) to (d) The Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) is a mandatory insurance scheme for all Emigration Check Required (ECR) category workers going to ECR countries. The scheme provides an insurance cover of ?10 Lakhs in case of accidental death or permanent disability and other benefits at a nominal insurance premium of ?275/- for two years or ?375/- for three years validity. The Scheme, initially launched in 2003, has been amended in 2006, 2008 and 2017 with the overarching objective of expanding the benefits for emigrant workers.

The revised scheme PBBY, 2017, operational w.e.f. August 1, 2017, has made settlement of claims simpler for the benefit of our workers and is aimed at ensuring expeditious settlement of claims. It now provides for:


(i) Global coverage irrespective of change of employer, employee’s location and place of work,

(ii) Acceptance by insurance companies of certification of accidental death/permanent disability by Indian missions/posts abroad, and

(iii) Facility for online renewal and copy of insurance policy is to be made available to the nominee(s).

The Government promptly takes up the matter with the concerned insurance companies whenever any representation regarding settlement of claims is received.

The claimants under the scheme belong to various professions as defined under section 2(o) of Emigration Act, which are as follows:

(i). any unskilled work, including any form of industrial or agricultural labour;

(ii). any domestic service;

(iii). any service, not being a service in a managerial capacity, in any hotel, restaurant, tea-house or other place of public resort;

(iv). work as a driver of a truck or other vehicle, mechanic, technician or skilled labourer or artisan;

(v). work as an office assistant or accountant or typist or stenographer or salesman, or nurse or operator of any machine;

(vi). work in connection with, or for the purposes of, any cinema, exhibition or entertainment;


Since the launch of e-migrate portal in 2014, the Government has been issuing online Emigration Clearance (EC). The country wise data from 2014 to February 2020 is placed at Annexure-I.

As per information received from insurance companies, premium of ? 9,211.8 lakhs have been paid by the emigrants and 877 claims of ? 6,920.34 lakhs have been settled from 1.4.2014 till 31.1.2020. The details are placed at Annexure-II. Insurance companies have informed that they only maintain consolidated figures of settlement of claims, but not the country wise details.

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