Group Insurance Scheme for Powerloom Weavers

What is the Group Insurance Scheme for Powerloom Weavers?

The Group Insurance Scheme for Powerloom Weavers is a social-security scheme of the Ministry of Textiles that gives life and accident insurance cover to workers in the powerloom sector. The Government of India first introduced group insurance for powerloom weavers from 1 July 2003, combining the Janshree Bima Yojana (JBY) with an add-on group insurance scheme. The scheme was revised with effect from 1 January 2008, and that revised version is the Group Insurance Scheme for Powerloom Weavers.

According to the Ministry of Textiles guidelines, the basic objective is to provide insurance cover to powerloom weavers and workers in the event of natural death, accidental death, and partial or permanent disability due to accident, along with an education grant for their children.

Over time, government social-security insurance has been consolidated. The powerloom cover is now delivered through the converged route using the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for life cover and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) for accident cover, with government subsidy support for eligible weavers. The design and benefit numbers below reflect the revised scheme; the delivery mechanism today runs through banks and these two national schemes.

What benefits does the scheme provide?

Under the revised Group Insurance Scheme:

• Natural death: Rs 60,000 payable to the nominee.
• Accidental death: Rs 1,50,000 payable to the nominee.
• Total permanent disability due to accident: Rs 1,50,000.
• Partial permanent disability due to accident: Rs 75,000.
• Education grant (Shiksha Sahayog Yojana): Rs 600 per child per half-year, for up to two children studying in Class IX to Class XII, for a maximum of four years.

Under the converged PMJJBY/PMSBY delivery, the national sums assured apply: PMJJBY pays Rs 2 lakh on death from any cause, and PMSBY pays up to Rs 2 lakh for accidental death or total disability and Rs 1 lakh for partial disability — with the government subsidising part of the premium for eligible powerloom workers.

Who pays the premium?

Under the group scheme, the premium was shared: a large portion was borne by the Government of India and the LIC Social Security Fund, with the worker paying only a small annual contribution. Under the converged route, the annual premiums are Rs 436 for PMJJBY and Rs 20 for PMSBY, and eligible powerloom workers receive subsidy support toward these amounts through the Ministry of Textiles. Because the exact worker/government split has changed with each revision, confirm the current contribution on the Ministry of Textiles or iPowerTex portal before enrolling.

Who is eligible for the powerloom weavers insurance scheme?

You can be covered if:

• You are a powerloom weaver or worker engaged in the powerloom sector.
• You are aged between 18 and 59 years.
• You are enrolled with the concerned implementing agency and have an Aadhaar-seeded bank account for premium and claim.

You cannot claim if:

• You are not an enrolled powerloom weaver or worker, the general public cannot apply for this scheme.
• You are outside the 18 to 59 age band.
• You have not paid or maintained the premium/enrolment, so the cover has lapsed.

This is a worker-welfare scheme tied to the trade. The education grant is an add-on for the member's children and cannot be claimed by anyone who is not a covered member.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Group Insurance Scheme for Powerloom Weavers

1. Confirm you are an eligible powerloom weaver/worker aged 18 to 59 and get yourself enrolled with the concerned agency (Powerloom Service Centre or the nodal agency in your state).
2. Open or link an Aadhaar-seeded bank account, since the converged PMJJBY and PMSBY premiums are debited from the account.
3. Enrol in PMJJBY (life) and PMSBY (accident) through your bank, giving consent for the annual premium auto-debit and recording your nominee.
4. Register your details with the Ministry of Textiles / iPowerTex channel so that the applicable government premium subsidy for powerloom workers is applied.
5. To claim the education grant for your children, submit the school certificate for children in Class IX to XII through the prescribed channel.
6. Keep the enrolment acknowledgement; in the event of death or accident, the nominee files the claim through the bank/insurer with the required documents.

How are claims settled?

On the natural death, accidental death or permanent disability of a covered member, the nominee files the claim with the bank/insurer along with the death certificate or disability certificate, the nominee's identity and bank details. The sum assured is paid into the nominee's account. The education grant is disbursed to the member's account for eligible children on submission of the school certificate.

Help and where to verify details

The authoritative sources are the Ministry of Textiles guidelines and the iPowerTex India portal (ipowertexindia.gov.in), which publishes the current converged insurance coverage for powerloom weavers and workers. The Ministry has not published a single toll-free helpline dedicated to this scheme; the local Powerloom Service Centre and your bank (for PMJJBY/PMSBY) are the practical points of contact. Because the benefit amounts and premium split have been revised more than once, always confirm the current figures on the official portal before enrolling.