Suresh Prabhu, the union minister for commerce & industry and civil aviation, launched the Parichay Card for gem and jewellery sector workers, artisans and craftspersons in India – an initiative of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).
GJEPC is already in final stages of talks with the union ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship (MoSDE) for national classification of gem and jewellery sector workers/craftsmen under Labour Management Information Systems (LMIS). This segment-wise classification of workers, craftsmen and artisans will provide additional benefits under relevant MoSDE schemes.
The national launch of Parichay Card will benefit the entire gem and jewellery industry and ensure proper authentication for social security purposes. The objective of this project is to create a verified, well-crafted database of gem and jewellery workers to provide them better job opportunities, help to find financial support from banks and financial institutions, and provide better health care services through the specially designed smartcard.
This card not only gives the workers a valid proof of their employment or identity, but also makes them eligible for various initiatives. Along with the card, GJEPC will also provide an optional health insurance cover ‘Swasthya Kosh’ for all Parichay Card holders.
Pramod Agrawal, chairman, GJEPC, said, “The $40 billion gem and jewellery industry is heavily dependent on the karigars, artisans and craftspersons of India. Today, India has become a global pioneer in the business of diamond processing only because of this extremely talented and skilled workforce. As a token of appreciation and with the intention to give back to these precious jewels of the industry, the Council has come forward for the betterment of these workers.”
Agrawal added, “The Swasthya Ratna Scheme received a phenomenal response and several GJEPC member companies have taken this policy for their workers and office staff. Currently, it is in its third year of operations and to date it has covered more than 4 lakh lives. It motivated us to do more for the industry and hence we launched the Parichay Card.”
“We feel proud of the talented workforce of over 5 million craftspersons, artisans and karigars, who are an integral part of the overall ecosystem of gems and jewellery exports. As a token of appreciation and to support and nurture the talent, this is a small initiative from the GJEPC,” he noted.
In 2015, the GJEPC had initiated a Group Mediclaim Scheme, named ‘Swasthya Ratna’, to provide health insurance benefit to the entire workforce of the gems and jewellery industry and their family members. Under the scheme, all GJEPC member companies can enrol employees and their families. The primary objective of launching this scheme all over India was to help identified workers and their families gain improved access to quality medical care.
The Council plans to integrate the benefits of the Swasthya Ratna policy with the Parichay Card. All Parichay Card holders will be given a choice to opt for a health insurance policy, assured of R1,00,000 for themselves and their family (spouse and two children) by paying just 25% cost for the premium. The remaining 75% of the premium will be paid through a specially created fund called Swasthya Kosh.
GJEPC has tied up with the Gem and Jewellery National Relief Foundation (GJNRF), whereby anyone can donate into the fund and the proceeds go towards paying the premiums of the policy. The scheme will also offer an 80G tax benefit to the all the institutions who donate for this cause. GJEPC has roped in Edelweiss Insurance Brokers, which already manages the Swasthya Ratna Scheme along with the Swasthya Kosh insurance brokers.
The premium for the comprehensive health insurance policy is capped at R1,400 for selfcover and R2,200 for family cover. With 75% of the premium being paid by GJEPC’s Swasthya Kosh, the discounted premiums are just R350 for self and R550 for family cover.