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What is the story about?
The Labour Ministry has proposed a 90-day annual work threshold as the mandatory eligibility criteria for gig and platform workers to access social security under new draft rules on the Social Security Code 2020, published on December 31.
The four labour codes, including the Social Security Code 2020, were notified on November 21, 2025, and now draft rules have been pre-published for stakeholders’ feedback.
“In order to be eligible for any benefit under any scheme framed under the Code for gig workers or platform workers, the Central Government may notify specific conditions for eligibility through general or special order, in addition to registration on the designated portal of the Central Government: Provided that such eligible worker has been engaged as gig worker or platform worker for not less than ninety days with an aggregator, or in the case of multiple aggregators, not less than one hundred and twenty days, in the last financial year,” according to the Code on Social Security (Central) Rules, 2025.
It explained that a gig worker, or a platform worker, will be considered to be engaged with an aggregator for one day if they have earned income, irrespective of the amount, for such work rendered with the aggregator on that calendar day.
In case of working with multiple aggregators, the days of engagement of a gig worker or a platform worker shall be calculated across the aggregators in a cumulative manner, it added.
If a gig worker, or a platform worker, is engaged with three aggregators on a particular calendar day, this shall count as three days, the Ministry of Labour and Employment said.
It also clarified that an eligible gig worker or a platform worker shall include all such workers engaged by the aggregator directly or through an associate company, holding company, subsidiary company, limited liability partnership or through a third party.
For facilitating updation of particulars of registered gig workers or platform workers, every aggregator shall share electronically the details of the gig workers or platform workers engaged with such aggregator, quarterly or at such other periodicity and in such form as shall be specified on the designated portal of the central government, it stated.
In the absence of such updation, a gig worker or platform worker may not be eligible to avail the benefits of the social security schemes notified under the Code and applicable to him, the ministry proposed.
The eligible unorganised worker shall be required to update their particulars, such as address, occupation, mobile number, skill, or any other particulars from time to time, as may be specified by the appropriate government and in the absence of such updation, any unorganised worker may not be eligible to avail benefits of the social security schemes notified under the Code and applicable to him, the draft rules stated.
Every gig worker or platform worker who has completed sixteen years of age shall be required to be registered with Aadhaar and other documents as prescribed by the central government through general or special order, on a self-declaration basis under section 113, on a portal designated for the purpose, it added.
Also Read | New Year’s Eve strike by gig workers exposes cracks in India’s 10-minute delivery model
On commencement of these rules, every aggregator shall share the details of gig workers or platform workers who are engaged with such aggregator on the designated portal of the central government for the generation of a Universal Account Number or any other such unique number, if such worker is not already in possession of such number, the ministry stated.
Every eligible registered gig worker or platform worker will be issued an identity card, digital or otherwise, bearing their photograph and other details as specified by the central government for such purpose; and such digital card shall be downloadable from the designated portal.
The contribution collected will be maintained as part of the Social Security Fund in a separate account meant for gig workers, it stated.
If any aggregator fails to pay any amount of contribution payable within such time as may be specified by the central government for such purpose, such aggregator will be liable to pay interest on the amount of contribution, to be paid, at the rate of 1% for every month or part of a month comprised in the period from the date on which such payment was due till such amount is actually paid, according to the draft rule.
The four labour codes, including the Social Security Code 2020, were notified on November 21, 2025, and now draft rules have been pre-published for stakeholders’ feedback.
“In order to be eligible for any benefit under any scheme framed under the Code for gig workers or platform workers, the Central Government may notify specific conditions for eligibility through general or special order, in addition to registration on the designated portal of the Central Government: Provided that such eligible worker has been engaged as gig worker or platform worker for not less than ninety days with an aggregator, or in the case of multiple aggregators, not less than one hundred and twenty days, in the last financial year,” according to the Code on Social Security (Central) Rules, 2025.
It explained that a gig worker, or a platform worker, will be considered to be engaged with an aggregator for one day if they have earned income, irrespective of the amount, for such work rendered with the aggregator on that calendar day.
In case of working with multiple aggregators, the days of engagement of a gig worker or a platform worker shall be calculated across the aggregators in a cumulative manner, it added.
If a gig worker, or a platform worker, is engaged with three aggregators on a particular calendar day, this shall count as three days, the Ministry of Labour and Employment said.
It also clarified that an eligible gig worker or a platform worker shall include all such workers engaged by the aggregator directly or through an associate company, holding company, subsidiary company, limited liability partnership or through a third party.
For facilitating updation of particulars of registered gig workers or platform workers, every aggregator shall share electronically the details of the gig workers or platform workers engaged with such aggregator, quarterly or at such other periodicity and in such form as shall be specified on the designated portal of the central government, it stated.
In the absence of such updation, a gig worker or platform worker may not be eligible to avail the benefits of the social security schemes notified under the Code and applicable to him, the ministry proposed.
The eligible unorganised worker shall be required to update their particulars, such as address, occupation, mobile number, skill, or any other particulars from time to time, as may be specified by the appropriate government and in the absence of such updation, any unorganised worker may not be eligible to avail benefits of the social security schemes notified under the Code and applicable to him, the draft rules stated.
Every gig worker or platform worker who has completed sixteen years of age shall be required to be registered with Aadhaar and other documents as prescribed by the central government through general or special order, on a self-declaration basis under section 113, on a portal designated for the purpose, it added.
Also Read | New Year’s Eve strike by gig workers exposes cracks in India’s 10-minute delivery model
On commencement of these rules, every aggregator shall share the details of gig workers or platform workers who are engaged with such aggregator on the designated portal of the central government for the generation of a Universal Account Number or any other such unique number, if such worker is not already in possession of such number, the ministry stated.
Every eligible registered gig worker or platform worker will be issued an identity card, digital or otherwise, bearing their photograph and other details as specified by the central government for such purpose; and such digital card shall be downloadable from the designated portal.
The contribution collected will be maintained as part of the Social Security Fund in a separate account meant for gig workers, it stated.
If any aggregator fails to pay any amount of contribution payable within such time as may be specified by the central government for such purpose, such aggregator will be liable to pay interest on the amount of contribution, to be paid, at the rate of 1% for every month or part of a month comprised in the period from the date on which such payment was due till such amount is actually paid, according to the draft rule.
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