The Ministry of Labour and Employment announced the creation of a National Social Security Council for unorganized, gig, and platform workers. This step aims to ensure comprehensive social security for India's vast informal workforce.
The Council will be responsible for developing, monitoring, and making recommendations on targeted social security schemes designed to bridge gaps in social protection.
Gig workers are those who earn income from activities or participation in work agreements outside traditional employer-employee relationships. Platform workers are those who work through or in conjunction with online platforms.
The establishment of this Council is part of the legislative framework of the Code on Social Security and marks a historic shift by integrating digital specialists of the gig and platform economy into India's official welfare system.
The Minister of Labour and Employment will chair the Council, and its composition will include representatives from central and state bodies, major aggregator companies, employers, civil society organizations, workers' unions, as well as associations of gig and platform workers.
The main task of the Council is to develop, oversee, and propose targeted support programs for millions of gig and platform workers, as well as traditionally unorganized workers, to compensate for the deficit in social protection.
The National Social Security Council must hold meetings at least three times a year and adhere to the rules of conduct at meetings established by the Central Government.
The Council is obliged to recommend to the Central Government the development of suitable schemes for various groups of unorganized, gig, and platform workers. Furthermore, it will advise the Central Government on issues arising during the administration of this Code and supervise social programs managed by the Central Government.
The Council will also analyze record-keeping functions at the state level and audit expenditures from funds and accounts. In addition, it will perform other functions assigned to it from time to time by the Central Government.