ABSTRACT UNORGANISED SECTOR AND CONTRACT LABOUR India’s workforce comprises nearl !" per cen# in #$e %nor&ani'ed se&men#( wi#$ #$e en#ire farm sec#or fallin& %nder #$e informal ca#e&or( w$ile onl one)*f#$ of #$e non)farmworkers non)farmworkers are fo%nd in #$e or&ani'ed or&ani'ed se&men#+ Es#ima#es s%&&es# #$a# in #$e non)farm sec#ors( as we mo,e %p #$e income ladder( #$e s$are of #$e informal sec#or &rad%all declines+ -owe,er( as far as #$e a&ric%l#%ral sec#or is concerned( irrespec#i,e irrespec#i,e of economic class( #$e s$are of #$e %nor&ani'ed %nor&ani'ed workforce remains .a#+ /%r#$er analsis re,eals #$a# #$e co,era&e of social sec%ri# sc$emes $as 0een e1#remel sparse amon& #$e economicall and sociall ,%lnera0le sec#ions+ T$e pro) ric$( pro)capi#al polic of #$e presen# re&ime is re.ec#ed in #$e recen# downward re,ision of #$e in#eres# ra#e #o #$e s%0scri0ers of pro,iden# f%nd+ /%r#$er( #$e mo,e #owar #owards ds de*ned de*ned con#ri con#ri0%# 0%#or or sc$em sc$emes es awa awa from from de*ned de*ned 0ene*# 0ene*# sc$em sc$emes es of pensi pension on f%nds f%nds is fra%&$ fra%&$## wi#$ wi#$ dan&er dan&er++ T$er T$erefo efore re(( we ar&%e ar&%e #$a# #$a# &i,en &i,en #$e poor poor a2orda0ili# and lack of an ins#i#%#ional mec$anism( an desi&n of social sec%ri# #$a# relies $ea,il on a con#ri0%#or 0asis is 0o%nd #o fail dismall+ I# is $i&$ #ime for %s #o ponder on #$e condi#ion of con#rac# la0o%r in %nor&ani'ed sec#or and #ake necessar and appropria#e appropria#e s#eps for #$eir welfare and de,elopmen#+ RIS-AB- SING- 3AUT-OR4 A5US-I 3CO ) AUT-OR4
