Foreword to the Book on Social Insurance
by M. R. Idgunji
MR. M.
R. IDGUNJI'S book
on Social insurance and India is a well planned treatise.
It is divided into two parts. Part-1
is general and deals with two main topics (1) the two principal branches of
social insurance, vis., (i) Workmen's Compensation (ii) the different Financial aspects of Social
insurance such as the Financial resources, the actuarial technique and
financial administration. The discussion of the financial aspects of social
insurance is aimed to explain the various problems connected with the financial
resources required for the working of social insurance schemes, the various
systems according to which the resources can be organised so as to have social
insurance schemes working on sound lines and the problems of Administration
connected with the financial side of social insurance.
Part-11 deals with the problem of
social insurance in relation to conditions prevalent in India. In this part the
provision of the Indian Workmen's Compensation Act 1923, and of sickness
Insurance are subjected to critical examination. In addition to this, there is
a discussion of the Beveridge plan of Social
Security and of the scheme of social security adopted in New Zealand. The
discussion ends by an exploration of the possibilities for social security
measures in India. The author holds the view that sound social insurance
measures are not feasible in India unless certain fundamental difficulties are
removed, and the country makes a substantial advance economically and is rid of
the stark poverty that prevails in it today. The reasons in support of the
stand he has taken are set out clearly and fearlessly. Realising that India is
predominantly an agriculture country and that the agriculture population sadly
needs protection, the author has suggested a scheme of crop insurance based on
the principles of social insurance. If indeed a scheme of crop insurance be
evolved on the lines suggested by the author, it should go a long way in bettering the conditions of the rural masses in our
country and lessening the terrors of famines.
Social insurance is a new thing in
India. The Indian contribution to the literature on the subject is naturally
meagre. In the circumstances, Mr. ldgunji's book is
sure to be welcomed by all students of the subject both as an addition to the
scanty literature thereon and also as a critical examination of the problems
arising out of it. His style is lucid and his exposition is very clear.
American War of Independence : 666 Austrian Crown:
671
Babington Smith Committee : 679
Cannan, Prof. Edwin : 629, 643, 649,652 Convertibility: 638, 639, 640, 647,657,
669,684
Coyajee, Prof.:
650 Created Securities: 630
Dawkins, Clinton :
653, 654, 655
English Banking Act of 1894 : 650 European War: 671
Fisher, Prof. : 632, 641, 642, 661, 664,
665,684 Fowler Committee : 630, 647, 651, 652,
654,655 Fowler Committee Report : 647, 652
Genoa Conference:
C66 German Imperial Bank : 650 German Mark: 671 Gold
Currency: 663
Gold Exchange Standard : 629,630,634, 636,650,651,684
Gold Standard Reserve :.629, 630, 631,
634,645,646,652 Gregory, Prof.: 645
Harward Business Barometer : 644 Herschell
Committee: 655
Jevons,Prof.H.S.:641,642 Kitchen, Joseph: 645 Law, Edward : 647,
652, 653, 654, 655
Paper Currency Reserve : 630 Preston, Mr.: 662
Purchasing Power Parity : 673, 683 Purushottamdas
Thakurdas : 655, 664
Royal Commission on Indian Currency : 634
Statistical Journal:
649 Strakosch, Sir Henry :
666 Sydenham College, Bombay : 656
Warren, Sir Narcot
: 651 Westland, James
: 653, 654 Wilson, James: 644
[f1]SOCIAL INSURANCE AND INDIA BY
Manohar R. ldgunji Thacker & Co. Ltd., Bombay First published, 1948