Budget 2021: Women To Be Allowed To Work In Night Shifts In All Sectors

Night shifts for women with adequate protection: While presenting the Union Budget today, Finance Minister Nirmala Sithamaran stated that women in the workforce will be allowed to work in all shifts, even night shift with adequate protection. She added that this will apply to all the sectors.

The FM also that social security benefit will be extended to platform and gig workers and that minimum wages will apply to all categories of workers. 

"We will conclude a process that began 20 years ago, with the implementation of the four labour codes. For the first time globally, social security benefits will extend to gig and platform workers. Minimum wages will apply to all categories of workers, and they will all be covered by the Employees State Insurance Corporation. Women will be allowed to work in all categories and also in the night-shifts with adequate protection. At the same time, compliance burden on employers will be reduced with single registration and licensing, and online returns," she said in her speech.

Ujjwala Scheme

The Finance Minister also revealed that Ujjwala, free cooking gas LPG scheme will be expanded to one crore more beneficiaries.

While talking about the scheme, she also revealed that the fuel supplies were kept running without interruption during the nationwide lockdown.

Union Budget 2021-22

FM Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union budget for the fiscal year 2021-22 today at the Parliament. During her speech, that began at 11 am, she highlighted the problems India and other global economies are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

She said, "Now, just as it happened after the two world wars, there are signs that the political, economic and strategic relations in the post-COVID world are changing."

She also quoted Rabindranath Tagore in her speech to term the post-COVID order as the 'dawn of a new era', where India is well-poised to become the land of hope and promise. Here are some highlights from the budget.