Govt notifies National Social Security Board for unorganised, gig workers

The government has notified the National Social Security Board for unorganised workers and gig and platform workers, paving the way for a formal mechanism to recommend and monitor welfare schemes for these workers.

The board will recommend suitable social security schemes for different categories of unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers.

It will also advise the central government on matters related to the implementation of the Code on Social Security and monitor welfare schemes administered by the Centre.

The board will be chaired by the Union Minister for Labour and Employment and include representatives from the central and state governments, aggregator companies, employers, civil society organisations, workers' unions and associations representing gig and platform workers.

It will meet at least three times a year, according to the government notification.

The board will also review record-keeping functions performed at the state level and examine expenditure from the relevant fund and account.

The government may assign additional functions to the board from time to time.

Gig and platform workers, including those working through digital platforms, have emerged as a growing segment of India's workforce.

The board's mandate includes designing, monitoring, and recommending targeted welfare schemes to bridge the social security gap for millions of gig and platform workers alongside traditional unorganised workers.

The Code on Social Security provides the statutory framework for social security measures covering unorganised workers, gig workers and platform workers.

The notification comes days after the National Statistics Office (NSO) proposed changes in the sampling design and questionnaire of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) from January 2027 to improve coverage of platform workers and capture a wider range of unpaid activities.