When the British started tinkering with the revenue system in 1803, the farming community of Odisha rose in rebellion.
At that critical juncture, Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar — the military chief of the King of Khurda — led his motley army of Paikas forcing the British East India Company forces to retreat. The rebellion came to be known as PaikaBidroh (Paika rebellion).
The rebellion, by the landed militia of Khurda called Paiks, predates the first war of independence in 1857 but did not get similar recognition.
It took place when the British East India company wrested the rent-free land that had been given to the Paikas for their military service to the Kingdom of Khurda.
The government is planning to formulate a national policy for domestic workers with an aim to expand the scope of applicable legislation, policies and schemes such as minimum wages, social security and skill development programmes.
The Ministry of Labour and Employmenthas invited views of all stakeholders and general comments on the National Policy for Domestic Workers.
Key Highlights
The new policy proposes to clearly define part-time workers, full-time workers, live in workers and employers and private placement agencies.
The new draft policy, however, does not prescribe a minimum wage for a domestic worker, although the earlier draft a couple of years ago had proposed a minimum salary of Rs 9,000 per month for the skilled full-time domestic help along with benefits including social security cover and mandatory leave.
The policy intends to set up an institutional mechanism for social security cover, fair terms of employment, grievance redressal and dispute resolution.
It provides for recognising domestic workers as a worker with the right to register themselves with state labour department or any other suitable mechanism.
It also aims to expand the scope of existing legislation, policies and schemes to grant domestic workers rights that are enshrined in laws for other category of workers including minimum wage, equal remuneration, etc.
The policy proposes to promote the rights of domestic workers to organise and form their own unions/associations and affiliate with other unions/associations.
The policy will also provide for model contract of employment with well defined period of work and rest along with regulation of the recruitment and placement agencies by respective governments through formulation of a policy.
