Parliament Question: Insurance, Pension and Social Security Schemes for Unorganised Workers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1177 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2026 INSURANCE, PENSION AND SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES FOR UNORGANISED WORKERS †1177. SHRI DEVESH SHAKYA: SHRI NEERAJ MAURYA: Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state: (a)whether rural unorganised workers of Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Etah-Kasganj and Aonla Lok Sabha Constituencies, consider e- Shram cards as mere identity cards and are deprived off the information of insurance, pension and other social security schemes linked to them; (b)if so, the details of the steps taken by the Government to increase awareness in this regard; (c)whether any effective mechanism is in place for physical verification, regular audit and prevention of ineligible registration to ensure correctness of details of the workers registered on the e- Shram portal and if so, the details thereof; (d)whether the Government is contemplating to ensure minimum social security for gig and platform workers through e-Shram and to make the contribution by the companies concerned mandatory in a legal manner; and (e)if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE) (a) to (e): The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched eShram portal (eshram.gov.in) on 26th August, 2021 for creation of a comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) including platform workers, migrant workers etc. The eShram portal registers the unorganised workers including gig and platform workers and provides them a Universal Account Number (UAN) on a self- declaration basis. Contd..2/-:: 2 :: Over 31.81 crore unorganised workers have already been registered on eShram portal including 7.79 lakh registrations in Etah, 6.43 lakh registrations in Kasganj and 19.65 lakh registrations in Aonla Lok Sabha Constituencies. In keeping with the vision of the Budget Announcement 2024-25 on developing eShram as a One-Stop-Solution for unorganized workers to have access to various social security schemes, Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the eShram– “One-Stop-Solution” on 21st October 2024. eShram– “One-Stop- Solution” entails integration of different social security/ welfare schemes at single portal i.e. eShram. This enables unorganised workers registered on eShram to access social security schemes and see benefits availed by them so far, through eShram. So far, fifteen (15) schemes of different Central Ministries/ Departments have already been integrated/ mapped with the eShram to extend benefits and access to social securitys schemes to eShram cardholders including Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PMSVANidhi), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Viksit Bharat- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandna Yojana (PMMVY), etc. Apart from the above, eShram has linkages with National Career Service (NCS) for Job Opportunities , Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) for Skill Development, Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) for Pension and convergence portal of MoHUA, enabling eShram cardholders to avail additional services. To enhance registrations under the eShram initiative and ensure wider coverage of unorganised workers including in Etah, Kasganj and Aonla Lok Sabha Constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, the Government has adopted a comprehensive strategy. In addition to enabling self-registration through the web portal and mobile application, assisted registration modes have been introduced via Common Service Centres (CSCs), State Sewa Kendras (SSKs), and Contd..3/-:: 3 :: the UMANG platform to facilitate easy access for workers. The Ministry of Labour and Employment is conducting targeted awareness campaigns comprising registration drives, community outreach programs and locally tailored communication efforts. To further strengthen outreach, the Ministry leverages social media channels to disseminate videos, tutorials, and other informative content, making the initiative more accessible and engaging. In the eShram portal, registrations are undertaken only after successful Aadhaar-based eKYC authentication. This process ensures that duplicate or fraudulent registrations are effectively eliminated. Further, key fields such as Name, Gender, Date of Birth, Permanent Address, and Photograph are directly fetched from UIDAI to maintain data authenticity and accuracy. These measures collectively safeguard the integrity of the portal and prevent any misuse. For the first time, the definition of 'gig workers' and 'platform workers' and provisions related to the same have been the provided in the Code on Social Security, 2020 which has come into force on 21.11.2025. The Code provides for framing of suitable social security schemes for gig workers and platform workers on matters relating to life and disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, old age protection, etc. The Code provides for setting up of a Social Security Fund to finance these welfare schemes for which one of the sources is contribution from aggregators which is between 1 to 2% of their annual turnover subject to the limit of 5% of the amount paid or payable by an aggregator to such workers. The Code also has provisions to constitute a National Social Security Board for the purposes of the welfare of gig workers and platform workers. Further, the Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026, notified on 08.05.2026, mark a significant step towards extending formal social protection to gig and platform workers. The Rules operationalize the provisions of the Code by mandating registration of gig and platform workers on the Central Government portal, requiring aggregators to share worker-related data through Application Programming Interface (API) or other electronic means, prescribing eligibility criteria for social security benefits, and strengthening accountability aggregators in relation to welfare measures for such workers. Contd..4/:: 4 :: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has conducted multiple rounds of deliberations with Aggregators, Knowledge Partners, Platform Workers Associations, State Government/Union Territories and other organisations for social security framework of gig and platform workers to move forward for a comprehensive welfare scheme for platform workers, as mandated under the Code. *****