The Union Cabinet approved the extension of the Rashtriya Swastya Bima Yojana (RSBY) where more than 47 lakh domestic workers in the country will now be entitled to health insurance cover.

The estimated expenditure to be borne by the Centre will be Rs. 29.70 crores in 2011-12, Rs. 74.25 crores in 2012-13, Rs. 148.50 crores in 2012-14 and Rs. 297 crores in 2014-15.
In urban areas, domestic work is one of the largest sectors of female employment. This sector is unregulated and unprotected by labour laws. These workers come from vulnerable communities and backward areas and most of them are illiterate, unskilled and do not understand the urban labour market.
Identification certificates from any 2 of the 4 institutions — the employer, resident welfare associations, registered trade unions or the police would have to be obtained by the beneficiaries. A maximum of 5 members per family would be covered.
The RSBY is being implemented in 25 States and Union Territories. The scheme has since been extended to building and other construction workers, street vendors, beedi workers and those under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding year.
Source-Medindia