TeamAcademy2013

Protecting the

Vulnerable.

• The labor sector of the Indian economy consists of

over 487 million workers, the second largest after China. Of these over 94% work in unincorporated , unorganized enterprises ranging from pushcart vendors to daily wage workers (planning commission of

India (2007)) .

• The unorganized sector has low productivity and offers low wages . Even though it accounted for over 94% of the working force , it creates just 57 % of India’s national domestic product (9 fold less per worker than the organized sector).

• India’s national sample survey office in its 67th report found that unorganized manufacturing , trading , retail and services employed about 10 % each of all workers nationwide. It also reported 58 million unincorporated non agricultural enterprises in 2010.

India, the most populous democracy in the world is the 10th largest economy by nominal GDP (International monitory fund). The country is a growing market of import-export, industry, agriculture and associated services. Bringing this to life is the dense network of the informal (labor) sector.

INFORMAL SECTOR – THE BACKBONE OF A DEVELOPING ECONOMY

13 million new worker every

year

5 million ( works in informal sector)

8 million ( being unemployed)

MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE

5 million youth every year out of the 13 million new workers join the ranks of poorly paid partial employment, casual labor pool for temporary infrastructure and real estate construction jobs , or in many cases , being unemployed. (tripti lahiri , the wall street journal)

The labour (informal) sector forms a very essential yet ignored part of the mixed Indian economy

The Indian private sector relies on low labor cost top compete with the influx of foreign industries post-liberization. A section of the labor sector which makes the majority contribution for India’s Financial development are: exploited, underpaid, given inadequate facilities, many a times kept in unhealthy conditions and excluded from financial benefits. not equipped enough to avail to the rights that will appreciate and uplift their dignity of labor subjected to unreliable and erratic employment patterns making their way of living undefined.

Our approach therefore, is to identify this

otherwise overlooked, vulnerable section of society and design policies and programs pertaining specifically to their upliftment. By penning down formal policies, as to how this vulnerable section needs to be dealt with only practically, dilutes the sensitivity of this entire issue.

Therefore, we choose to set forth guidelines and provide ways to implement these at a

grassroots-level, to illustrate the well struck balance between feasibility as well as understanding of our approach.

We intend to blur the boundary between the society and this informal working population

BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES – AN APPROACH TO DESIGN


Psychological mindset of an informal worker

An efficient management system should be set up for informing, implementing and monitoring the policies. A study should be made of the various informal sectors in the city based on the density, work culture and lifestyle. Dealing with this nomadic and indefinite section of the people, the challenge arises to unify them.

PROPOSED POLICIES FOR THE VULNERABLE - UNIDENTIFIED


A social and physical platform must be set up, so that an individual from this section can associate himself with it so as to give him the security of belonging to a formalized system that will make him an eligible citizen of the society. This cooperative platform will provide the relevant information about schemes and programs provided to the informal sector by the government

Union Government

State Government

Local Bodies

Transition centre / Formal platform Linkages and exchange

Monitoring system Right to information

Information on Arrival

Understanding the most pressing need of these individuals in their respective localities, a physical intervention should be brought about to create a symbiotic and mutually beneficial relationship between the society as well as this vulnerable section of society.

The physical intervention - i) Will be given an added function so that it can be utilized as also a skill up gradation unit for those individuals who have availed for it. ii) Will be associated with commercial functions so as to self generate revenue for its working.

Information technology department (IT) should be assigned to create a database of individuals belonging to the informal sector who intend to avail for their registration to the system. This record will be used to understand their footfall in the locality as well as for future planning and commercial development of the same. A formal official website should be designed, which will pace up and simplify the process of acquiring jobs for this deprived section of the society. Making use of the technology, the databases will be shared on a website designed specifically for employers to access and hence, provide quality employment to the labor force.


Non-bank financial institutions will be set up at each of the platforms to monetarily connect these individuals to government affiliated banking systems. Collaboration with NGO’s, Social workers and local association is essential for the formation of these institutions. A financial linkage should be set up between the various financial institute for the parallel development of the scheme.

USER REGISTERATION

USER IDENTIFICATION

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

AMENITIES

ATTRIBUTED

The identification system for the user is categorized into stages depending on the contribution to the system and frequency in availing the proposed policies and facilities.

The stages define the extent of the access to the amenities for the user . These amenities act as incentive for the user be a part of the system.

The Financial contribution by the user will help fund the self help group and will provide the link between the Non-Financial institutions and the system.

Proposed physical intervention

PROPOSED POLICIES FOR THE VULNERABLE - UNIDENTIFIED

CENTRAL

GOVERNMENT STATE

GOVERNMENT LOCAL

GOVERNMENT TRANSITION CENTRE

BASIC FACILITIES

SKILL UPGRADATION

CENTRE

SITE SPECIFIC FUNCTION

(Formal platform)

Employment, Economic support, Identity, certified skill recognition, work experience, social security.

Rozgar naka / Day and night

shelter / Hawkers

plaza

Sanitation, Amenities, Access to technology, Food and education

security

Workshops, training centre

Financial depositary, Labour collateral,

Social security.

toilets

Basic facilities

Non bank financial institute

Skill upgradation centre

Rozgar naka/ hawker plaza

Schematic representation of a social and physical platform consisting transition centre and the site specific function

NGO, Social Workers and Local Associations and Unions ( Finance team)

Executive Officer (moderator) Region Controller and Ward officer

Sectorial Representatives

DATABASE DEPARTMENT

Information Technology Team

Divisional Officer

Volunteers

Data regarding the footfall and labour network

WEBSITE

Quality Employment

Social security

Commercial Functions Revenue

Generation

THE MONITORING SYSTEM


Real Estate Agents, Commercial developers

NON BANK FINANCIAL INSTITUTE

As a majority of the labour force being migrants into urban areas they are rendered to one of the major survival issues – housing . “ Home is a notion that only the nations of homeless fully appreciate and only the uprooted comprehend.” •Homelessness is the manifestation of extreme poverty and vulnerability of this working population. Uncertainty prevails in their lives with no permanent jobs, identities ,livelihood and no permanent roof above them. •They lack adequate amenities that are essential to achieve the basic standard of living. Striving to survive , they maximize everything available to them. Therefore, we see them encroaching public spaces and utilizing public facilities. •The flourishing urban growth provides job opportunities and this money making incentives increase migration rates into the urban centres.

Factors that render them invisible : 1.Lack of formal address and therefore lack of citizenship. 2.Location of sleeping is irregular 3.Occupying public spaces rather than prime city land.

HOMELESSNESS – AN URBAN REALITY


On site documentation of various localities in major urban centres in the country showing how homeless working population become visible when the city breaths in the dark.

Apart from being overlooked for their valuable contribution in the commercial and service sector of urban India, homeless are termed invisible even as citizens.

Therefore, it is crucial to identify the role homeless play in the development of a commercial sector and uplift their present condition by economy empowering them for a developed economy in the city.

A study should be made of the varied homeless involved in the locality based on density, work culture and lifestyle.

The programme for occupancy in the night shelter should be based on the studies made and hence are subjected to change with every

changing context.

The night shelter should accommodate 70% of working men,20% of working women and 10% of families (based on survey).

The above mentioned figures should be made flexible, as and when the site demands

A tender should be released for the development of the night shelter by interested parties including NGOs and the required land should be

made available free of cost by the government.

The tender should also be open to NGO’s and other non governmental organizations.

A financial linkage should be set up between the various prototypes in an urban context so that long term goals are made through parallel

development.

Collaborations with NGO's, hospitals and welfare associations should be made for the advocacy of the night shelter.

A cooperative society and banking system should be set up which provides relevant information about schemes and programs provided to

the urban poor by the government.

The proposal of night shelter should be considered as a government owned public amenity and should have reservation in the development

plan of the city.

The shelter should lie within a 2km radius/walking distance from the work culture of the homeless.

The day and night shelter should be replicated as a prototype in government owned development projects of public utility

wherever the need arises.

PROPOSED POLICIES FOR THE HOMELESS


Approach for the implementation of proposed policies : The lack of having a shelter and a sense of belonging makes an individual more lost than if he is deprived of any other basic facility. Not only is this physically taxing but also puts an individual in social, mental and emotional distress which makes the individual question his identity in society. After extensive research the state of homelessness is considered the most pressing issue faced by this vulnerable section of the society tackling which is the need of the hour. Hence, to test the feasibility of the aforementioned guidelines they have been implemented in the form of policies to uplift the homeless.

MUMBAI - THE MAGNET CITY


FUTURE REPLICATION – A VISION FOR A BETTER LIVING

Mumbai has been a very strong magnet , attracting millions of aspiring individuals in search of job opportunities and a better living. It serves as an appropriate example for the situation of unidentified labor force due to its dynamic informal sector and its influence on the city . The labor force is rendered homeless on the pavements of the city due to lack of favorable infrastructure and policies in place for their upliftment. Hence to cater to the problem one intervention would not suffice and rather demands a modular network as a future replication system. Criteria for replication in the city: - High density of homeless working population . - Strong work culture. - Open or a dead space. • The design intervention is used to facilitate the process of raising

awareness regarding the issues of the unorganized labor force as well as reducing the social stigma attached to them by incorporation of activities like naka system and revenue generation programs. A self sustaining prototype is inserted in commercial areas with high labor densities.

Replication of these prototypes leads to the creation of nodes, which are financially symbiotic in nature. Hence any loop hole or imbalance in the network can be detected which helps the system to develop simultaneously. • Through this modular but site responsive insert we are contributing

back to the locality as well as the city, as we are harnessing the services provided by the ground labor force and organizing their distribution in the locality.

The proposed solution will cater to a large number of individuals in informal sectors recognised by the necessary surveys done

throughout the different cities. The intervention should ideally be placed in the high density pockets of the urban context where the unorganised sector is

predominant.

CHALLENGES AND RISK

Most individuals who are a part of this vulnerable sector of society embrace any job available to them. Hence their work profiles cannot be categorized while creating a database for the system.

Availability of land for a physical intervention is not always achievable in the high density pockets created by the informal sector.

There being an existing negative psyche regarding this section, the presence of a physical intervention for them may be resisted by society.

The organization/body providing funds to deal with the vulnerability of these individuals may not be able to reach the grass root level of recognizing their issues.

The proposed system may not be considered as efficient and working until there is no substantial response to it (which can be initiated by the influence of a powerful entity in the vicinity). Hence the system demands for a symbiotic relationship with the society.


NGO's and Government Offices: 1. DUSIB, Delhi Urban Shelter Board, New Delhi 2. Mother NGO, New Delhi 3. YUVA foundation, Mumbai 4. IGSSS, Indo-Global Social Service Society, New Delhi 5. Alternative Realities, Mumbai 6. MCD, Municipal Corporation Of Delhi, New Delhi 7. DDA, Delhi development Authority, New Delhi 8. HUDCO office, New Delhi 9. NMDC, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, New Delhi

Guidance: 1. Ar. Rohit shinkre, Principal, Academy of Architecture, Mumbai. 2. Ar. Ravindra Punde, Ex Principal, Academy of Architecture, Mumbai. 3. Ar. Shivani Singh, Town planner, Mumbai. 4. Ar.Harshad Bhatiya, Researcher for humanity, Mumbai.

Reports: 1. Choice less on the Street - BUILD 2. Living Rough, Surviving City Streets by Harsh Mander for Planning commission of India 3. Unsung City Heroes by Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS) 4. Strategies to Combat Homelessness by United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) 5. Employment Situation in Mumbai: An Analysis by TISS (Mumbai). 6. Homeless Survey Report 2010 BY Delhi government and UNDP 7. India: Urban Poverty Report 8. REPORT On Urban Homeless By The National Advisor On Homeless To The Commissioners Of The Supreme Court 9. National Programs for Urban Homeless 10. Neoliberal City by Mumbai Reader 11. Social security bill 2008

Books: 1. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty 2. Alleviation, Government of India 3. Dimensions of Urban cities, by Sabir Ali

REFERENCES


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