The Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the constitution of the National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers and Gig & Platform Workers. The Ministry announced it on 30 October 2026.
The Board is set up under the Code on Social Security, 2020. That Code, with the other three Labour Codes, came into force on 21 November 2025. The Ministry called it a historic shift that brings digital gig and platform workers into India's formal welfare system.
The Union Minister for Labour and Employment will preside over the Board. Its members come from the Central and State Governments, aggregator companies, employers, civil society, workers' unions and gig and platform workers' associations. It must meet at least three times a year.
The Board does not pay benefits itself. Its job is to recommend, advise, monitor and review the welfare schemes for these workers. Who those workers are, and who pays, is set out in the Code.
Three kinds of worker the Code names
The Code on Social Security was the first central law to define gig workers and platform workers. A reply in Parliament has described these as the first statutory definitions of the two terms.
| Term | What the Code means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Unorganised worker | A home-based or self-employed worker, or a wage worker in the unorganised sector | A street vendor, a farm labourer, a domestic worker |
| Gig worker | A person who works and earns outside a traditional employer-employee relationship | A freelance photographer hired job by job |
| Platform worker | A person who uses an online platform to reach organisations or individuals and earns by providing specific services through it | A food-delivery rider or a cab driver on an app |
| Aggregator | A digital intermediary or marketplace that connects buyers or users with sellers or service providers | A ride-hailing or delivery company |
The two categories overlap. A delivery rider on an app is both a gig worker and a platform worker. A freelance photographer who finds clients offline is a gig worker but not a platform worker.
The aggregators covered are listed in the Code's Seventh Schedule. The categories include ride-sharing, food and grocery delivery, logistics, e-marketplaces, professional services, healthcare, travel and hospitality, and content and media services.
Notably, the Code does not make these workers employees of the platform. It brings them under social security schemes instead. That is the central design choice, and the main source of argument about the law.
One Board, two compositions
The Board's legal basis is Section 6 of the Code, which provides for a National Social Security Board for unorganised workers, headed by the Union Labour Minister.
Section 114(6) then says that the same Board will act as the Board for gig and platform workers. When it does, a proviso replaces part of its membership with the following:
| Members for gig and platform workers (Section 114(6)) | Number |
|---|---|
| Representatives of aggregators, nominated by the Centre | 5 |
| Representatives of gig and platform workers, nominated by the Centre | 5 |
| Director General, Employees' State Insurance Corporation | 1 |
| Central Provident Fund Commissioner (EPFO) | 1 |
| Expert members, as the Centre considers appropriate | — |
| Representatives of State Governments, by rotation | 5 |
| Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment | Member Secretary |
The design is equal representation: five for the companies and five for the workers. The heads of the two big social security organisations, the ESIC and the EPFO, sit on it because any scheme for these workers is likely to be run through one of them. Members other than ex officio members hold office for up to three years.
The release refers to "Boards" in the plural, which fits these two configurations of one statutory body.
What the Board must do
The notification lists six functions.
| Function | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| (a) Recommend schemes for different sections of unorganised, gig and platform workers | The Board proposes; the Central Government frames and notifies the scheme |
| (b) Advise the Centre on matters referred to it under the Code | A standing advisory role |
| (c) Monitor central welfare schemes for these workers | Checks whether schemes reach the people they are meant for |
| (d) Review record-keeping at the State level | Registration data is kept largely by the States |
| (e) Review expenditure from the fund and accounts | Oversight of the money collected for these workers |
| (f) Other functions assigned by the Centre | A residual clause |
The pattern is clear. The Board is an advisory and monitoring body, not a regulator. It cannot fine an aggregator or award a benefit. Its influence lies in shaping the schemes and in watching how the money is spent.
Who pays: the aggregator levy
Section 114 of the Code deals with schemes for gig and platform workers. The Centre may notify schemes for life and disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, old-age protection, creches and other benefits.
Under Section 114(3), such a scheme can be funded by the Centre alone, jointly by the Centre and the States, by aggregators alone, or by a mix that includes contributions from aggregators and workers. It can also draw on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds under the Companies Act, 2013.
Section 114(4) sets the aggregator's contribution:
- a rate notified by the Centre between 1% and 2% of the aggregator's annual turnover;
- capped at 5% of the amount paid or payable by the aggregator to gig and platform workers;
- with taxes, levies and cesses paid to the Centre excluded from turnover.
Under Section 114(5), the date from which aggregators must pay is to be notified separately by the Centre. The contributions go to the Social Security Fund created under the Code.
A worked example
Take an aggregator with an annual turnover of ₹10,000 crore that pays its gig workers ₹1,500 crore a year. Suppose the notified rate is 1%:
- 1% of turnover = ₹100 crore
- The cap, 5% of ₹1,500 crore = ₹75 crore
- The aggregator pays the lower figure, ₹75 crore.
The cap protects platforms whose payouts to workers are small compared with their turnover. Without it, a marketplace with large sales and few gig workers could pay much more than its workforce justifies.
From nine laws to one Code
The Code on Social Security, 2020 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in September 2020. It replaced nine central laws, including the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 and the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008.
The 2008 Act already had a National Social Security Board for unorganised workers. The new Code kept the institution and widened it to gig and platform workers.
The four Labour Codes together replaced 29 central labour laws:
| Code | Year |
|---|---|
| Code on Wages | 2019 |
| Industrial Relations Code | 2020 |
| Code on Social Security | 2020 |
| Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code | 2020 |
All four came into force on 21 November 2025, five years after Parliament passed them. The delay was largely because labour is in the Concurrent List, so the States also had to frame their own rules.
How large is the workforce?
A NITI Aayog study of June 2022, India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy, estimated:
- 77 lakh gig workers in 2020-21, about 2.6% of the non-farm workforce;
- a projected 2.35 crore by 2029-30, about 6.7% of the non-farm workforce and 4.1% of total livelihoods.
The Union Budget 2025-26 announced identity cards and registration on the e-Shram portal for gig workers, and health cover under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY. It estimated that nearly 1 crore gig workers would benefit. e-Shram, the national database of unorganised workers, had crossed 31 crore registrations by August 2026. Our article on e-Shram at five explains how it works.
The States moved first
Because labour welfare is a Concurrent subject, several States passed their own gig-worker laws before the central Code came into force:
| State | Law | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan | Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act | 2023 (the first) |
| Karnataka | Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act | 2025 |
| Bihar | Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Safety and Welfare) Act | 2025 |
| Jharkhand | Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act | 2025 |
| Telangana | Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Bill | Passed 2026 |
Most of these create a State welfare board, and several charge aggregators a welfare fee or cess. Several have been slow to frame rules. Running State and central schemes side by side will be one of the National Board's practical problems, which is why reviewing State-level record-keeping is one of its listed functions.
The constitutional basis
The Board puts several constitutional provisions into practice:
- Concurrent List, Entry 23: social security and social insurance; employment and unemployment.
- Concurrent List, Entry 24: welfare of labour, including conditions of work, provident funds, invalidity and old-age pensions and maternity benefit.
- Article 41 (a Directive Principle): public assistance in unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, within the limits of the State's economic capacity.
- Article 42: just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.
- Article 43: a living wage and a decent standard of life for all workers.
For the full set, see our notes on the Directive Principles. For the labour-market background, see our notes on unemployment and labour.
What is still pending
Three things will decide whether the Board makes a real difference:
- The levy rate and start date. Until the Centre notifies them, aggregators pay nothing under Section 114.
- The schemes themselves. The Board can only recommend. The actual benefits depend on schemes the Centre notifies.
- Portability. Gig workers often work for several apps at once and move between States. Benefits tied to one platform or one State would miss them. A national identity through e-Shram is the tool meant to solve this.
🔑 Revision block
The event. National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers and Gig & Platform Workers notified on 30 October 2026, under the Code on Social Security, 2020 (in force 21 November 2025).
Chair and meetings. Presided over by the Union Labour Minister; meets at least three times a year.
Legal basis. Section 6 (Board for unorganised workers); Section 114(6) (same Board for gig and platform workers, with a changed composition).
Gig composition. 5 aggregator representatives, 5 worker representatives, DG ESIC, Central PF Commissioner, experts, 5 State representatives by rotation, Joint Secretary, MoLE as Member Secretary; term up to 3 years.
Six functions. Recommend schemes, advise, monitor, review State record-keeping, review fund expenditure, other assigned work.
Money. Section 114(4): 1-2% of annual turnover, capped at 5% of payouts to gig and platform workers; start date to be notified; Social Security Fund; CSR funds allowed.
Scale. NITI Aayog (2022): 77 lakh (2020-21) → 2.35 crore (2029-30).
Laws. Code replaced 9 laws (EPF Act 1952, Maternity Benefit Act 1961, Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act 2008); four Codes replaced 29 laws; first State gig law Rajasthan, 2023.
Constitution. Concurrent List Entries 23 and 24; Articles 41, 42, 43.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. Who presides over the National Social Security Board notified in October 2026? (a) The Prime Minister (b) The Union Minister for Labour and Employment (c) The Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog (d) The Central Provident Fund Commissioner
→ (b) The Union Labour Minister presides; the Central PF Commissioner is a member.
Q2. Under the Code on Social Security, 2020, the contribution of an aggregator towards schemes for gig and platform workers is capped at: (a) 1% of its annual turnover (b) 2% of its annual profit (c) 10% of its CSR spending (d) 5% of the amount paid or payable to gig and platform workers
→ (d) The notified rate must lie between 1% and 2% of turnover, subject to this 5% cap.
Q3. Which State was the first to enact a law for platform-based gig workers? (a) Rajasthan (b) Karnataka (c) Telangana (d) Bihar
→ (a) Rajasthan passed its Act in 2023; Karnataka, Bihar and Jharkhand followed in 2025.
Q4. Consider the following statements about the Board when it acts for gig and platform workers: 1. It includes five representatives of aggregators and five of gig and platform workers. 2. The Director General of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation is a member. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
→ (c) Section 114(6) provides for both, along with the Central PF Commissioner and five State representatives.
Q5. "Social security and social insurance; employment and unemployment" is an entry in the: (a) Concurrent List (b) Union List (c) State List (d) Eleventh Schedule
→ (a) It is Entry 23 of the Concurrent List, which is why the States also legislate on gig workers.
Q6. Which of the following laws was NOT replaced by the Code on Social Security, 2020? (a) Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (b) Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 (c) Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008 (d) Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
→ (d) The Industrial Disputes Act was replaced by the Industrial Relations Code, 2020.
Q7. A freelance photographer who is hired job by job, without using any online app, is best described under the Code as: (a) A platform worker (b) An employee of an aggregator (c) A gig worker (d) A fixed-term employee
→ (c) A gig worker works outside a traditional employer-employee relationship; a platform worker uses an online platform.
Q8. The NITI Aayog study of 2022 projected India's gig workforce in 2029-30 at about: (a) 77 lakh (b) 2.35 crore (c) 31 crore (d) 50 crore
→ (b) 77 lakh was the 2020-21 estimate; 31 crore is roughly the e-Shram registration count.
Q9. The four Labour Codes came into force on: (a) 21 November 2025 (b) 1 April 2021 (c) 15 August 2023 (d) 26 January 2026
→ (a) Parliament had passed them in 2019 and 2020.
Q10. "Just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief" are provided for in: (a) Article 39A (b) Article 43 (c) Article 41 (d) Article 42
→ (d) Article 43 is about the living wage; Article 41 about public assistance in unemployment and old age.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Labour law and social security come up in the CDS economy and polity sections, usually in three forms.
The first is the definition question: what distinguishes a gig worker from a platform worker, and who counts as an aggregator. Expect a scenario item like Q7, where the trap is assuming every gig worker is a platform worker.
The second is the Codes question: how many Labour Codes there are, which old laws each replaced, and when they came into force. The examiner likes to slip a law into the wrong Code, as in Q6.
The third is the constitutional question: which List covers social security and labour welfare, and which Directive Principles deal with work, wages and maternity relief. Articles 41, 42 and 43 are often confused with each other.
The fresh hook this cycle is the Board: who chairs it, the five-plus-five structure, the 1-2% levy with the 5% cap, and the fact that it advises rather than regulates.
Preparing for CDS? Make one table of the four Labour Codes with the year, the laws each replaced and one headline provision, and add the gig-worker levy under the Social Security Code. Build the base with our CDS/OTA study material, follow the daily CDS current affairs, and train with serving-standard faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
Source: PIB / Ministry of Labour and Employment, "Government notifies National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers and Gig & Platform Workers under the Labour Codes", 30 October 2026. Provisions of the Code on Social Security, 2020 (Sections 6 and 114) checked against the statute text and PRS Legislative Research; NITI Aayog policy brief (June 2022); State laws cross-checked with independent reporting.
✍️ Written by Aditya Tiwari — Economy & current-affairs faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk.