India, France to ink social security agreement

NEW DELHI: More than 65,000 Indian professionals working in France should feel a lot secure over their future as the two countries are all set to enter into a social security agreement.

As part of the bilateral social security co-operation pact, France is going to be the latest signatory to the agreement with India after Belgium.

Delegates from France and India will ink the agreement during a three-day meeting beginning on August 27 here.

"A French delegation is set to arrive here on August 27 for a three-day negotiation round, following which the social security agreement will be finalised," said an official here.

The delegation will engage in talks with the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs officials, including Secretary K Mohandas, who will work out the details of the agreement.

Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vyalar Ravi will sign the deal on behalf of the Indian government.

The agreement will provide for bi-lateral social security arrangement where by an Indian professional can avail benefits of his social security, pension and other benefits even after leaving France.

This will also ensure that the signatory countries make deductions from an Indian employee in France accordingly and that he is redeemed of the benefits either in France or India.

Once finalised the deal will ensure that old-age and survivors pension for employed and self-employed Indians in France, invalidity insurance and permanent disability pensions for sailors and social security for all employees will be redeemable even in India in both Indian and French currencies.

It will also entitle Indian employees to be treated as equals by the French government and French employers as per an Equality of Treatment clause in the agreement. A large number of Indian IT and medical professionals in France will benefit from the agreement.