The Centre on Friday, 30 October notified the constitution of the National Social Security Boards for Unorganised Workers and Gig and Platform Workers, a step the Ministry of Labour and Employment says will strengthen the social security framework for millions of workers in India's informal economy. The move is rooted in the Code on Social Security, which provides the statutory basis for welfare measures covering unorganised, gig, and platform workers.

What the Boards Will Do

The two boards are mandated to recommend and monitor welfare schemes for their respective worker categories, advise the Central government on matters arising from the administration of the Code, and review record-keeping functions at the state level. They will also examine expenditure from the dedicated fund and account established under the Code.

Each board will be chaired by the Union Minister for Labour and Employment and will include representatives from the Central and state governments, aggregator companies, employers, civil society organisations, workers' unions, and gig and platform worker associations. The boards are required to convene at least three times a year, following procedures prescribed by the Central government.

Why This Matters for Gig Workers

India's gig economy has expanded rapidly, with millions of delivery riders, cab drivers, and freelance platform workers operating without the social security net available to formal employees. According to the government, the boards are intended to bridge this gap by embedding these workers within a statutory welfare architecture for the first time. This is a significant structural shift — previously, gig workers fell outside the purview of both traditional labour law protections and formal social security schemes.

Notably, the notification comes as discussions around the four new Labour Codes gather pace. In September, industry representatives, workers, senior government officials, and domain experts collectively described the new Labour Codes as a shift from a control-centred regulatory approach toward a collaborative model between government and industry.

What Senior Officials Have Said

Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, had earlier highlighted the rationalisation brought about through the consolidation of laws, a reduction in compliance provisions, digitalisation of processes, e-portal integration, uniform return filing, and greater uniformity in the definition of wages.

What Happens Next

With the boards now formally constituted, the next step involves their inaugural meetings and the framing of specific social security scheme recommendations. State-level implementation and monitoring will be a key function, with the boards expected to track expenditure and welfare outcomes. The pace of actual scheme rollout will likely depend on how quickly the boards operationalise and whether state governments align their own frameworks with the Code's provisions.