More woes for Modi government: India slips to rank 151 in protecting labour rights 

NEW DELHI:  India has fared poorly in protecting labour rights and has slipped to rank 151 among 158 countries, according to Oxfam’s Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII) report released on Thursday. 

India also slipped from rank 141 to 151 with weak labour rights and high incidence of vulnerable employment.

Highest presence of informal sector for men was in Uttar Pradesh at 86.9 per cent and for women was in Andhra Pradesh at 73.6 per cent.

Delhi’s informal employment was at 31.8 per cent for women and 64.8 per cent for men, the analysis said.

With the pandemic exposing the scale of inequality, there is an urgent need for governments to commit themselves to the cause of reducing inequality, the report recommended.  

In terms of its public services, it ranked 141, it said.  

Overall, India ranked 129 in the CRI index out of 158 countries on government policies, and actions in areas of public services of education, health, social protection, taxation, and workers’ rights.

The CRII is a global report that ranks 158 governments, including India, on their commitment to reducing inequality.

India’s health budget was the fourth lowest with half of its population having access to most essential health services, and more than 70 per cent of health spending being met by people themselves, the CRII report said. 

In 2019-20, the per capita expenditure on education is lowest in Telangana at Rs 2,584 and highest in Andhra Pradesh at Rs 6,398.