State led social security and inclusion of marine fisherfolk: Analyzing the case of Kerala, India

Among Indian states, Kerala always stands out with its unparalleled achievements in social sector development. However, the fisherfolk, which accounts for almost 3.5% of the total population of Kerala, still suffers the scourge of exclusion from their material deprivation and employment-related insecurities. To ensure their inclusivity, the state, over the past decades, has introduced several social security initiatives such as welfare schemes, subsidies, direct benefit transfers, etc. Despite these efforts, a commensurate improvement is not visible in their standard of living. In this context, an attempt has been made to analyse the nature and role of the state-led social security measures in ensuring inclusivity based on data collected from various government sources and selected fisherfolk households in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. The study assessed different aspects of welfare schemes like nature, level of awareness, and the number of beneficiaries. Among the rolled-out schemes, a paucity of promotional schemes is observed. Likewise, the fisherfolk has lesser awareness about these schemes, and resultantly their enrolment rates are also low. These findings mirror the failures in state action in permeating the targeted community, and it points to the need for more strategic intervention on the part of the government. Formulating more capacity-building initiatives that can offer sustainable social protection and reaching out to coastal communities through innovative awareness campaigns are some of the means by which the state can reiterate its commitment to the inclusive development of marine fisherfolk.