"Universal portable social security proposed for India's informal workforce"
e-Shram Portal
national digital registry of unorganised workers, linked to Aadhaar, covering 300 million+ registrations
Code on Social Security, 2020
one of four Labour Codes; first statute to formally define gig and platform workers as distinct categories
India's labour market is structurally dominated by informal employment, with over 90% of the working population engaged outside formal protections such as provident fund, gratuity, and employee state insurance. This informality is not incidental — it reflects deep historical patterns of seasonal migration, caste-based occupational segmentation, and the absence of enforceable employer-employee relationships in large swathes of the economy.
The legislative response has evolved in layers. The Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, 2008 was the first dedicated statute acknowledging the welfare needs of this population, but it remained largely aspirational due to weak implementation and fragmented state-level execution. The Code on Social Security, 2020 — one of four Labour Codes consolidating 29 central labour laws — marked a significant conceptual leap by formally recognising gig workers and platform workers as distinct categories and mandating aggregator contributions of 1–2% of annual turnover into a dedicated social security fund. The four Labour Codes were notified for implementation in November 2025, though ground-level operationalisation remains uneven.
Parallel to legislative reform, the e-Shram portal was launched as a national database for unorganised workers, now covering over 300 million registered workers. This digital registry — linked to Aadhaar — represents the most comprehensive enumeration of India's informal workforce ever attempted, creating the data infrastructure on which future welfare delivery can be built.
The core challenge in delivering social security to informal workers is not merely financial — it is architectural. Traditional welfare schemes in India have been designed around two assumptions that do not hold for informal workers: a fixed residential address and a stable occupational category. A construction worker who migrates from Odisha to Gujarat, or a gig delivery worker who switches platforms seasonally, falls through the cracks of schemes tied to local ration cards, state-specific beneficiary lists, or occupation-specific boards.
This spatial and administrative fragmentation is compounded by the classification problem. Gig and platform workers are typically classified as independent contractors, not employees, which legally exempts platforms from employer obligations — minimum wage enforcement, accident cover, and social security contributions. The Code on Social Security, 2020 partially addresses this by creating a new category, but implementation remains notional without a portable delivery mechanism.
The concept of a universal social security account — a single Aadhaar-linked account that travels with the worker across state lines and job transitions — addresses both problems simultaneously. …
With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) Yojana, consider the following statements:
1.The entry age group for enrolment in the scheme is 21 to 40 years.
2.Age specific contribution shall be made by the beneficiary.
3.Each subscriber under the scheme shall receive a minimum pension of ₹ 3,000 per month after attaining the age of 60 years.
4.Family pension is applicable to the spouse and unmarried daughters.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana is aimed at
With reference to the e-Shram portal, consider the following statements:
1.It is a national database of unorganised workers linked to Aadhaar.
2.Registration on e-Shram automatically entitles workers to benefits under Ayushman Bharat.
3.It has registered over 300 million unorganised workers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the Code on Social Security, 2020:
1.It is one of four Labour Codes that consolidate 29 central labour laws.
2.It formally defines gig workers and platform workers as distinct categories for the first time in Indian law.
3.It mandates aggregator contributions of 5–10% of annual turnover into a social security fund for gig workers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM), which of the following statements is/are correct?
1.The scheme is open to unorganised workers with a monthly income of up to ₹15,000.
2.The minimum pension guaranteed under the scheme is ₹3,000 per month after the age of 60.
3.The scheme is administered by the Ministry of Finance.
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