Key Facts

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified a National Social Security Board for unorganised workers with wider representation that includes gig and platform workers. The board is chaired by the Union Labour and Employment Minister and has representatives of workers, employers and governments, and it will advise on suitable social-security schemes for vulnerable worker categories. Experts caution that setting up a board does not by itself deliver insurance or pensions, and that benefits must be portable across employers, platforms and states. Separately, Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the EPFO, now moving towards its 75th year, should focus on worker-centred innovation and adapting to changing times.

GK Context

The Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008 created the National Social Security Board to recommend schemes for unorganised workers. The Code on Social Security, 2020, one of the four Labour Codes brought into force in 2025, for the first time recognises gig and platform workers and provides for aggregators to contribute a share of turnover to a social-security fund. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation administers the EPF Act, 1952, and workers are registered on the e-Shram portal.