New Delhi: While it is impossible to estimate the exact number of domestic workers that are working in India today, which is a challenge due to varying definitions and the informal nature of the sector but there are some official estimates which suggest – approximately 4.75 million domestic workers in the country, and around 3 million of them being women. However, other sources, including non-governmental organisations, have come up with their own estimate, which is significantly higher. They claim that the domestic workers in India range from 20 million to over 50 million workers in the country.

So when the Supreme Court, today, directed the Central government to come up with a committee whose main aim will be to recommend a legal framework that would be responsible for “regulating and protecting domestic workers across India.” Going forward, the apex court has also instructed this committee to submit its report within six months and has urged the Centre to expedite the enactment of a law based on its recommendations.

The reason for doing this is a simple. There has been a lack of a pan-India legislation for domestic workers but their numbers have subsequently grown. Over the past few decades, there has been a noticeable increase in both the supply as well as the demand for domestic workers in India. Between 1999–2000 and 2004–2005, for instance, the number of domestic workers in urban India increased by 222 per cent.

It is difficult to pinpoint at the exact reason for the growth but some people have attributed this to factors such as urbanisation, rising incomes, and changing family structures which has directly lead to a higher demand for domestic helps.

With a number as large as 10 million,........

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