# Centre notifies National Social Security Board for unorganised, gig and platform workers

URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-10-31/nssb-gig-platform-workers-notified/
Date: 31 October 2026 (2026-10-31)
Source: The Hindu, Page 10
UPSC papers: GS2, GS3
Publisher: upsc.help (Pratidin), free and open-source UPSC Civil Services current affairs. Not affiliated with UPSC. Every fact was checked against the source reports by a separate review before publishing.

**In one line:** On 30 October 2026, the Labour Ministry notified the National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers and Gig and Platform Workers under the Code on Social Security, 2020, chaired by the Union Labour Minister.

The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the constitution of the National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers and Gig and Platform Workers under the Code on Social Security, 2020, by Gazette notification S.O. 5884(E), announced through a PIB release on 30 October 2026. The Board is chaired by the Union Minister for Labour and Employment. It includes representatives of the Central and State governments, aggregator companies, employers, civil society organisations, workers' unions and associations of gig and platform workers. It must meet at least three times a year and has a three-year term. The notification does not announce any new scheme, eligibility rule or payment; it creates the body that will recommend and monitor them.

The Board has six functions: recommend suitable schemes to the Centre for different groups of unorganised, gig and platform workers; advise the Centre on matters of administering the Code referred to it; monitor centrally administered welfare schemes for these workers; review record-keeping done at the State level; review expenditure from the social security fund and account; and do any other work the Centre assigns. The Code provides for one Board with two compositions. Under section 6, for unorganised workers, it has 40 nominated members drawn from workers, employers, civil society, Parliament, Central ministries, States and Union Territories, with the Labour Secretary as Vice-Chairperson. Under section 114(6), for gig and platform matters, it includes five representatives each of aggregators and of gig and platform workers, five State representatives by rotation, the Director General of ESIC and the Central Provident Fund Commissioner.

The step follows the coming into force of the four labour codes on 21 November 2025 and the Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026, notified on 8 May 2026. Those rules make a gig or platform worker eligible for benefits after at least 90 days of work for one aggregator, or 120 days across several, in the previous financial year. Under section 114(4) of the Code, aggregators are to contribute between 1% and 2% of annual turnover to a social security fund, capped at 5% of amounts paid or payable to gig and platform workers. The Ministry presents the Board as bringing gig workers into the formal welfare system. The move responds to long-standing demands for social security for workers outside traditional employment; its value will depend on the schemes the Board recommends and the Centre notifies.

## Prelims facts

- The Labour Ministry notified the National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers and Gig and Platform Workers under the Code on Social Security, 2020 (PIB, 30 October 2026).
- The Board is chaired by the Union Labour Minister, meets at least three times a year and has a three-year term.
- Section 6 of the Code sets the Board's composition for unorganised workers (40 nominated members); section 114(6) sets its composition for gig and platform workers, with five aggregator and five worker representatives.
- Aggregators are to contribute 1% to 2% of annual turnover, capped at 5% of payments to gig and platform workers (section 114(4)).
- Gig workers qualify for benefits after 90 days with one aggregator or 120 days across several in a year, under the Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026.

## Quick recall

- **Under which law is the National Social Security Board constituted?** The Code on Social Security, 2020.
- **Who chairs the National Social Security Board?** The Union Minister for Labour and Employment.
- **How often must the Board meet, and what is its term?** At least three times a year; three years.
- **Which section sets the Board's composition for unorganised workers?** Section 6 (40 nominated members).
- **Which section makes the Board act for gig and platform workers?** Section 114(6).
- **Aggregator contribution under section 114(4)?** 1% to 2% of annual turnover, capped at 5% of amounts paid or payable to gig and platform workers.
- **Eligibility for gig worker benefits under the 2026 Central Rules?** 90 days with one aggregator or 120 days across several in the previous financial year.
- **When did the four labour codes come into force?** 21 November 2025.

## Prelims practice question

Under the Code on Social Security, 2020, the contribution of an aggregator towards social security of gig and platform workers is:

(a) 0.5% to 1% of annual turnover, with no cap
(b) 1% to 2% of annual turnover, capped at 5% of amounts paid or payable to gig and platform workers
(c) 2% to 5% of annual profit
(d) A fixed amount per worker notified by the State Government

Answer: (b) 1% to 2% of annual turnover, capped at 5% of amounts paid or payable to gig and platform workers. Section 114(4) of the Code sets the aggregator contribution at not less than 1% and not more than 2% of annual turnover, and a proviso caps it at 5% of the amounts paid or payable by the aggregator to gig and platform workers.

## UPSC previous-year questions this connects to

- UPSC Mains 2024, GS3: Discuss the merits and demerits of the four 'Labour Codes' in the context of labour market reforms in India. What has been the progress so far in this regard? (https://upsc.help/pyq/q097-merits-demerits-four-labour-codes-context-labour/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Use the Board and the 2026 rules as concrete evidence of progress in implementing the Code on Social Security after the codes took effect.
- UPSC Mains 2016, GS3: How globalization has led to the reduction of employment in the formal sector of the Indian economy? Is increased informalization detrimental to the development of the country? (https://upsc.help/pyq/q098-globalization-has-led-reduction-employment-formal-sector/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Use the Board to show that informalisation can be partly offset by extending social security to gig and platform workers.

## Mains practice question

The notification of the National Social Security Board for unorganised, gig and platform workers marks a new stage in implementing the Code on Social Security, 2020. Examine the Board's role and the challenges in extending social security to gig and platform workers. (250 words)

### Model answer

On 30 October 2026, the Labour Ministry notified the National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers and Gig and Platform Workers under the Code on Social Security, 2020, about a year after the four labour codes came into force on 21 November 2025.

## Role of the Board
- Chaired by the Union Labour Minister; meets at least three times a year; three-year term.
- Recommends schemes for different groups of unorganised, gig and platform workers.
- Monitors centrally administered welfare schemes and reviews State-level records and fund expenditure.
- Advises the Centre on administering the Code.

## Representation
- Section 6 composition: 40 nominated members from workers, employers, civil society, Parliament, ministries and States.
- Section 114(6) composition for gig matters: five aggregator and five worker representatives, ESIC and EPFO heads, five States by rotation.

## Supporting framework
- Aggregators to contribute 1% to 2% of turnover, capped at 5% of payouts to workers.
- Eligibility: 90 days with one aggregator or 120 days across several (Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026).

## Challenges
- The notification creates no scheme or payment; delivery depends on Board recommendations and Central notification.
- Gig workers move across platforms, making day counts and records hard to track.
- Advisory Board: it recommends but cannot itself fund or enforce.
- Coordination with States, which keep their own Boards and records.

## Way forward
- Notify schemes with clear timelines; portable benefits linked to a single worker identity.
- Transparent reporting of aggregator contributions and fund use.

The Board gives gig workers a formal voice; its value will be judged by how quickly that voice becomes benefits.

## The basics

## Why this matters
India's workforce is mostly informal, and app-based delivery and ride work has added a new group that fits neither the old idea of an employee nor that of a self-employed trader. The Code on Social Security, 2020 names gig and platform workers and brings them under social security. The Board notified on 30 October 2026 is the body meant to turn that recognition into schemes.

## Who is who
The Code separates two newer categories from the wider pool of unorganised workers. A Gig worker works outside a traditional employer-employee relationship. A platform worker is a gig worker who finds work through an online platform run by an Aggregator.

## What the Board does
It does not pay benefits itself. It recommends schemes, monitors those the Centre runs, reviews State records and fund spending, and advises the Centre. It must meet at least three times a year and has a three-year term.

## The road so far
The four labour codes came into force on 21 November 2025. The Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026 followed on 8 May 2026 and set eligibility and registration duties for aggregators. The Board is the next institutional piece.

## The open questions
The notification creates no scheme or payment. Whether gig workers gain depends on how fast schemes are notified, how contributions are collected, and how records follow workers who switch between apps.

## Sources

- https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2330299
- https://www.policyedge.in/p/government-constitutes-social-security-board-with-dedicated-representation-for-gig-workers
- https://courtbook.in/code-on-social-security-2020/section-6
- https://courtbook.in/code-on-social-security-2020/section-114
- https://www.medianama.com/2026/05/223-social-security-central-rules-2026-gig-workers-90-days-work/
- https://ksandk.com/labour-employment/all-four-labour-codes-enforced-from-21-november-2025/