New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS) Union Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will lead the Indian delegation to the second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD-2), to be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 4-6, it was announced on Monday.

Dr Mandaviya will participate in the Opening Plenary Meeting of the Summit, delivering India’s National Statement and joining world leaders in adopting the Doha Political Declaration.

According to Labour Ministry, he will also address the high-level roundtable on “Strengthening the Three Pillars of Social Development: Poverty Eradication, Full and Productive Employment and Decent Work for All, and Social Inclusion”, sharing India’s transformative journey toward inclusive and digitally enabled growth that prioritises decent work and social protection.

As India takes the global stage at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, it does so as a nation that has achieved a remarkable milestone in poverty reduction.

Between 2011 and 2023, 248 million Indians were lifted out of multidimensional poverty, reducing the share of people living below the international poverty line to just 2.3 per cent in 2022-23.

These gains are driven by flagship programmes such as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, PM Awas Yojana, and the Jan Dhan financial inclusion initiative.

Equally notable is India’s rapid expansion of its social protection system, now among the largest in the world.

Verified by the International Labour Organization (ILO), India’s social security coverage has surged from 19 per cent in 2015 to 64.3 per cent in 2025, benefitting over 940 million citizens.

This has been made possible through the JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile) architecture, ensuring efficient, transparent, and direct benefit delivery to millions of households.

Dr Mandaviya is also scheduled to participate in the ILO-sponsored Ministerial Event on the Global Coalition for Social Justice, where he will reiterate India’s role as a champion of equitable growth and decent work.

On the sidelines of the Summit, the Union Minister will hold a series of bilateral meetings with Ministers from Qatar, Romania, Mauritius, and the European Union, as well as with the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and senior UN officials. These interactions are expected to deepen collaboration on labour mobility, skilling, social protection, and employment generation.

–IANS

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