- Why in news
- On 30 October 2026, the Ministry of Labour & Employment notified the constitution of the National Social Security Board for Unorganised Workers and Gig & Platform Workers under the Code on Social Security.
- What it is
- The National Social Security Board is a statutory advisory body set up under the Code on Social Security, 2020. It recommends welfare schemes for unorganised, gig and platform workers and monitors those run by the Centre. It brings aggregators, unions and governments onto one table.
- Legal basis
- The Board is set up under the Code on Social Security, one of the four Labour Codes.
- Chair
- The Union Minister for Labour & Employment presides over the Board.
- Members
- Members include Central and State governments, aggregators, employers, civil society, unions and gig worker associations.
- Meetings
- The Board must meet at least three times a year.
- Functions
- It recommends schemes, advises the Centre, monitors central schemes, reviews State-level record keeping and reviews expenditure from the fund.
- Nature of role
- It recommends and advises; the Central Government frames the schemes.
Don’t confuse with Central Board vs State boards: The Code also provides for State unorganised workers' boards; this notification is the national Board.
Don’t confuse with Social Security Code vs ESI/EPF Acts: The Code subsumes older laws such as the EPF and ESI Acts and extends cover to gig and platform workers.
Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.
Why it matters
- Brings gig and platform workers into the formal social security framework.
- Gives aggregators, unions and governments a shared forum for scheme design.
Problems
- The Board is advisory; schemes depend on the Centre's decisions and funds.
- Worker identification, registration and portability of benefits are hard in informal work.
Way forward
- Fix aggregator contribution rules and ensure timely fund flow.
- Build universal registration and portable benefits through digital IDs, with State coordination.
Put in your answer
Code on Social Security, 2020: Recognises gig and platform workers and unorganised workers for social security and provides for national boards.
Board functions: Recommend schemes, monitor central schemes and review fund expenditure.
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Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.