Occupational Health & Climate Change Impacts
Social Justice & Development
- PYQs4
- Articles1
Background
UPSC often focuses on the welfare of vulnerable worker groups, occupational safety, and the socio-economic impacts of climate change. This concept combines these elements, highlighting a critical, often overlooked, dimension of climate vulnerability and the need for targeted policy interventions.
Occupational health deals with the physical, mental, and social well-being of workers in all occupations. Climate change introduces new and exacerbates existing occupational hazards, particularly for outdoor workers and those in informal sectors, leading to health risks like heat stress, dehydration, and related illnesses.
Facts & tables
- Increased Exposure
- Outdoor workers (e.g., sanitation workers) face increased and routine exposure to extreme heat due to climate change.
- Health Risks
- Heat stress leads to severe health issues including dehydration, exhaustion, kidney-related illnesses, and cardiovascular complications.
- Vulnerability of Informal Workers
- Informal workers often lack adequate occupational protections, social security, and accessible healthcare services.
- Policy Integration
- Integration of climate considerations into occupational health policies, including heat action plans, is crucial for worker protection.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Labour Welfare |
| Conceptual area | Public Health |
| Conceptual area | Climate Change Impacts |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
Prelims angle: Factual recall
- Climate change intensifies occupational hazards, especially for outdoor workers.
- Heat stress causes severe health issues and productivity loss.
- Informal workers often lack protections and accessible healthcare.
- Need for climate-integrated occupational health policies (e.g., heat action plans).
- Strengthening primary healthcare for climate-sensitive conditions is vital.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2020 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2017 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2016 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
Timeline
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Labour Welfare
Conceptual area
-
Public Health
Conceptual area
-
Climate Change Impacts
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2016
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2017
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2020
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2021
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
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Need for inclusive, integrated climate action
Examines how climate change, particularly extreme heat, poses significant occupational health risks to informal and outdoor workers, necessitating policy integration, worker protections (e.g., shaded rest areas, modified schedules), and accessible healthcare services.
See also
Past papers
2016–2021 · 4 questions
In the news
Need for inclusive, integrated climate action
Examines how climate change, particularly extreme heat, poses significant occupational health risks to informal and outdoor workers, necessitating policy integration, worker protections (e.g., shaded rest areas, modified schedules), and accessible healthcare services.
Try these PYQs
Consider the following pairs
| International Agreement | Set-up Subject |
|--------------------------|----------------------------|
| 1. Alma-Ata Declaration | Healthcare of the people |
| 2. Hague Convention | Biological and chemical weapons |
| 3. Talanoa Dialogue | Global climate change |
| 4. Under2 Coalition | Child rights |
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Pair 1 is correctly matched. Alma Ata Declaration: The Declaration of Alma-Ata was adopted at the International Conference on Primary Health Care, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 612 September 1978. It expressed the need for urgent action by all governments, all health and development workers, and the world community to protect and promote the health of all people. Pair 2 is not correctly matched. Hague Convention: The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or Hague Abduction Convention is a multilateral treaty developed by the Hague Conference on Private International Law that provides an expeditious method to return a child internationally abducted by a parent from one member country to another. Pair 3 is correctly matched. The Talanoa Dialogue is a process designed to help countries implement and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions by 2020. The Dialogue was mandated by the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change to take stock of the collective global efforts to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Pair 4 is not correctly matched. The Under2 Coalition is a global community of state and regional governments committed to ambitious climate action in line with the Paris Agreement. The coalition brings together more than 220 governments that represent over 1.3 billion people and 43% of the global economy. Signatories commit to keeping global temperature rises to well below 2C with efforts to reach 1.5C.
With reference to the casual workers employed in India, consider the following statements:
1. All casual workers are entitled for Employees Provident Fund coverage.
2. All casual workers are entitled for regular working hours and overtime payment.
3. The government can by a notification specify that an establishment or industry shall pay wages only through its bank account.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Statement 1 is not correct: The Government had launched a scheme viz Casual Labourers (Grant of Temporary Status and Regularization) Scheme of Government of India, 1993. As per the scheme, Temporary status would be conferred on all casual labourers who were in employment and who have rendered a continuous service of at least one year, which means that they must have been engaged for at least 240 days (206 days in case of offices observing 5 days week). Statement 2 is correct: The Supreme Court has decreed that casual workers are also entitled to social security benefits as stipulated in the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act. The Court's ruling stemmed from its interpretation of Section 2(f) of the EPF Act, wherein the definition of an "employee" encompasses a broad scope, including any individual engaged directly or indirectly in connection with an establishment's work and receiving wages. A bench of the Supreme Court affirmed this viewpoint. Statement 3 is correct: The government has the authority to specify through a notification that an establishment or industry is obligated to disburse wages exclusively via its bank account.
Consider the following statements:
1. The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions.
2. N.M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Factories Act of 1881 did not address worker wages or the formation of trade unions. Its primary focus was on improving working conditions, especially for children. It limited working hours for children, prohibited child labour under a certain age, and mandated breaks during the workday. Statement 2 is correct. N.M. Lokhande is indeed considered a pioneer of the labour movement in British India. He actively campaigned for better working conditions and worker rights.
Regarding ‘Atal Pension Yojana’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is a minimum guaranteed pension scheme mainly targeted at unorganized sector workers
2. Only one member of a family can join the scheme
3. Some amount of pension is guaranteed for the spouse for life after the subscriber’s death.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Statement 1 is Correct: Atal Pension Yojana is a minimum guaranteed pension scheme primarily targeted at unorganized sector workers in India. It encourages saving for retirement through regular contributions during their working years. Statement 2 is Incorrect: There is no restriction on the number of family members who can join the Atal Pension Yojana scheme. As long as they meet the eligibility criteria (age 18-40 and savings bank account), multiple members within a family can enroll. Statement 3 is Correct: Atal Pension Yojana provides a pension benefit for the spouse after the subscriber's death. The spouse becomes the nominee and receives a pension, though the specific amount might differ depending on the chosen pension plan by the subscriber. Hence, option C is the correct answer.