In a significant move to bolster social security for its rapidly expanding informal workforce, India's Ministry of Labour and Employment has announced the constitution of National Social Security Boards for Unorganised Workers and for Gig and Platform Workers. These boards, established under the Code on Social Security which came into force in November 2025, are tasked with advising the Central Government on the crucial aspects of designing, implementing, and monitoring social welfare schemes for millions.
Mandate of the New Social Security Boards
The newly formed boards will have a broad mandate aimed at strengthening social security coverage for individuals operating outside traditional formal employment. This includes a vast demographic of delivery partners, app-based drivers, and various other gig professionals. Their primary responsibility will be to recommend suitable welfare schemes to the Central Government, tailored for different categories of workers.
Beyond formulation, the boards will also play a critical role in the administration of the Code on Social Security. This involves monitoring existing social welfare schemes at the central level and reviewing record-keeping functions carried out by state administrations. They are also empowered to examine expenditure from relevant funds and accounts to assess the effective implementation of welfare measures.
Representation and Significance for India's Gig Economy
Chaired by the Union Minister for Labour and Employment, the boards will comprise a diverse group of stakeholders. This includes representatives from Central and State Governments, aggregator companies, employers, civil society organizations, and workers' unions and associations representing gig and platform workers. This multi-stakeholder approach is designed to integrate both workers' concerns and industry perspectives directly into policymaking.
The constitution of these dedicated boards marks an institutional step towards addressing the long-standing issue of social protection for gig and platform workers. Traditionally, these workers have lacked access to employment-linked benefits such as health insurance, pensions, and other forms of social security, due to the flexible and often non-conventional nature of their work arrangements. The boards are expected to recommend schemes that account for these unique requirements, ensuring that social security coverage effectively reaches India's growing informal and platform-based workforce.
The Code on Social Security: A Framework for Change
The underlying framework for this initiative is the Code on Social Security, which consolidates nine existing social security laws into a single, cohesive legislative structure. It extends social security provisions to organized, unorganized, gig, and platform workers. Beyond expanding protection, the Code also aims to improve the ease of doing business through digital records, decriminalization of certain offenses, and a technology-driven inspector-cum-facilitator system. The boards' recommendations and subsequent government actions will be pivotal in translating this legislative framework into tangible welfare benefits.