The formal social security support is available to only a small fraction of India's labor force working in the organized sector. A massive 93% of the labor force work in the unorganized sector (NSSO, 62^nd Round, 2008) and continue to remain comprehensive of any exhaustive social security program. Apart from absorbing a large chunk of India's labor force, the sector also contributes over 50% of GDP (NCEUS, 2008) and yet remains ignored, even after six decades of economic planning. The article attempts to study the dichotomy of social security schemes for the organized and unorganized sectors.

The Constitution of India seeks to guarantee adequate safeguard against socio-economic uncertainty to the citizens of the country. Articles country 41-43 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV) apeak about the fundamental right of livelihood. The Constitution clearly directs the state to secure the right to work, education, decent living, and assistance towards unemployment, old age, sickness, disability and maternity. However, the situation of social security policy and its execution is highly ambiguous, both at the center and at the state levels. A wide range of schemes framed by various departments at different points of time in the history present directionless and half-hearted efforts towards a comprehensive policy on social security. Every scheme is designed with a specific purpose targeting a group of beneficiaries, and many times overlapping the coverage. The same group gets covered in multiple schemes and those in a dire need of support end up being excluded from the planning process, either due to practical or political reasons (11^th Five- Year Plan). There is absence of a formal social security statute, Act or a law on social security in India; various schemes get covered under labor laws or isolated programs. There is no separate ministry of social security, both at the center and at the state levels. The related matters are taken care of by the Ministry of Labor in the Central Government. Except the 9^th Five-Year Plan, the rest of Indian planning has absolutely ignored the term `social security' (Report of 2^nd National Commission of Labor, 2002).

Moreover, the existing social security system in India covers only the elite group of organized sector workers, mainly civil servants (Debi Saini, 2005). Over 90% of India's workforce remains deprived of any substantial wage security. This is further threatening with the fact that the proportion of workforce in the organized sector has reduced from 10 to 7% (National Sample Survey Organization, 61^st-62^nd rounds) in recent years. This is contrary to the objectives of the Indian Constitution to build a non-discriminatory egalitarian social order.

HRM Review Magazine, Social Security Programs, Human Resources, Gross Domestic Product, GDP, Organized Sectors, Public Sector Units, Economic Planning, Domestic Workers, Unorganized Sectors, Policy Makers, Unorganized Sector Workers.