Parliament Question: Social security for women workers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 736 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.02.2026 SOCIAL SECURITY FOR WOMEN WORKERS 736. SMT. RENUKA CHOWDHURY: Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state: (a) the number of women gig and platform workers registered in the country, State-wise; (b) the social security schemes and provisions currently applicable to women gig workers, including health insurance, accident cover, old-age protection and maternity benefits; (c) whether any specific maternity benefit or paid leave provisions exist for women gig workers under the Code on Social Security, 2020 or any other scheme and if so, the details thereof; (d) the extent of coverage and benefits actually provided to women gig workers under such schemes so far, year-wise; and (e) the gaps in social security coverage, particularly maternity support and income security, for women gig workers? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE) (a) to (e): The Ministry of Labour and Employment had launched eShram portal on 26.08.2021 for creation of a comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers including platform workers, migrant workers etc. The eShram portal is meant to register and support the unorganised workers by providing them a Universal Account Number (UAN) on a self-declaration basis. State-wise number of women platform workers registered on eShram portal is at Annexure-A. Details of women platform workers registered on eShram portal and enrolled under different social security schemes is at Annexure-B. Contd..2/-:: 2 :: For the first time, the definition of ‘gig workers’ and ‘platform workers’ and provisions related to the same have been provided in the Code on Social Security, 2020 which has come into force on 21.11.2025. The Code provides for framing of suitable welfare schemes for gig workers and platform workers on matters relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection, etc. The Code provides for setting up a Social Security Fund to finance these welfare schemes. The Code also have provisions to constitute a National Social Security Board for the purposes of the welfare of gig workers and platform workers. ** *****Annexure-A Annexure referred in reply to part (a) to (e) of the Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 736 for 05.02.2026 regarding “Social security for women workers” State-wise number of women platform workers registered on the eShram portal (as on 02.02.2026) Sl.No. State/UT Registration Count 1 Andaman And Nicobar Islands 54 2 Andhra Pradesh 10,663 3 Arunachal Pradesh 249 4 Assam 9,773 5 Bihar 49,759 6 Chandigarh 169 7 Chhattisgarh 1,640 8 Delhi 4,690 9 Goa 112 10 Gujarat 7,524 11 Haryana 2,104 12 Himachal Pradesh 798 13 Jammu And Kashmir 880 14 Jharkhand 4,800 15 Karnataka 3,876 16 Kerala 1,060 17 Ladakh 12 18 Madhya Pradesh 9,684 19 Maharashtra 34,795 20 Manipur 377 21 Meghalaya 259 22 Mizoram 45 23 Nagaland 118 24 Odisha 3,735 25 Puducherry 57 26 Punjab 3,370 27 Rajasthan 9,698 28 Sikkim 80 29 Tamil Nadu 10,690 30 Telangana 1,994 31 The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu 52 32 Tripura 304 33 Uttar Pradesh 16,361 34 Uttarakhand 1,427 35 West Bengal 14,345Annexure-B Annexure referred in reply to part (a) to (e) of the Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 736 for 05.02.2026 regarding “Social security for women workers” Details of women platform workers registered on eShram portal and enrolled under different social security schemes as on 02.02.2026 is as under: Sl.No. Scheme Enrollments 1 One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) 1,30,632 Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi 2 1,910 (PMSVANidhi) Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission 3 16,873 (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G). 4 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G) 3,301 5 Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) 50 6 Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) 477 7 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U) 1,367 8 Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) 10 9 Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) 2,797 10 Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) 27,978 Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB- 11 8,692 PMJAY) 12 Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) 5,184 13 Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandna Yojana (PMMVY) 3,632 *****