Social welfare department minister Parveen Amanullah represented India at the G20 Summit in Moscow highlighting India’s and Bihar’s commitment to the cause of social protection as a necessary tool to make growth pro-poor.

The two-day conference concluded on Tuesday and Amanullah gave a PowerPoint presentation on the topic, Social Protection.

The sole representative from India, Amanullah talked about the work being done in Bihar in the sector. She stressed on the state’s mutli-pronged social protection strategy, which aims to protect and promote the rights of ultra-poor, beggars, women, children, aged persons and persons with disabilities.

The conference brought together participants from G20 countries, international organisations and partner countries, representing beneficiaries of ongoing programmes in the area of social protection, food security and human resource development.

She said: “To develop the economy and change the social health of the state, chief minister Nitish Kumar formulated a comprehensive strategy to protect the vulnerable and those who had been neglected. His commitment to the cause can be seen in Bihar’s multi-pronged social protection strategy.”

During her 20-minute speech, she said: “Bihar has made impressive improvements in human development in terms of access to schooling and health. However, poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition and infant and child mortality continue to be sources of concern. In addition, certain groups, such as persons with disabilities and older persons, are especially vulnerable to economic shocks and rising living costs.”

She added: “The 2001 Census estimated that there are about 5.5 million people aged 60 and above and about 1.9 million persons with disabilities in Bihar, constituting about 6.6 per cent and 2.3 per cent of the population, respectively. Both aged persons and persons with disabilities are likely to experience multiple deprivations. About 28 per cent of Bihar’s disabled population is economically dependent on others, while the dependency ratio amongst the disabled elderly and among older women is even higher.”

The two-day summit aimed at sharing the best practices from across the world in social protection and worked out recommendations and further possible steps for G20 in the area of development and implementation of a comprehensive approach to social issues.