The Union labour ministry has proposed new eligibility criteria for gig and platform workers to access social security benefits, requiring them to work for a minimum number of days in a financial year. The draft rules, released for public feedback on December 30, 2025, state that workers must be engaged for at least 90 days with a single aggregator, or 120 days if working with multiple aggregators.
The notification came a day before gig and platform workers across several cities held a strike on New Year’s Eve, demanding higher payouts, better working conditions, and social security coverage.
What the Draft Rules Propose
According to the draft rules under the Code on Social Security, gig and platform workers will qualify for centrally funded social security schemes only if they meet the minimum engagement requirement within a financial year.
The rules define a worker as “engaged” if they earn any income, irrespective of the amount, for work carried out for an aggregator on a particular calendar day.
How Engagement Days Will Be Counted
The labour ministry has clarified how engagement days will be calculated:
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A gig or platform worker will be counted as engaged for one day if they earn any income from an aggregator on that day.
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If a worker is associated with multiple aggregators, engagement days will be counted cumulatively.
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If a worker performs jobs for three aggregators on the same day, it will be counted as three engagement days.
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Workers engaged directly by an aggregator or through associate companies, subsidiaries, holding companies, LLPs, or third parties will also be considered eligible.
Registration and Digital ID for Unorganised Workers
The draft rules also mandate compulsory registration of eligible unorganised workers on the Centre’s designated portal. Once registered, workers will be issued a digital identity card containing their photograph and other government-specified details.
The labour ministry has already initiated registrations on the e-Shram portal, which serves as the national database for unorganised workers. Registration allows workers to be officially recognised and access applicable social security schemes.
Mandatory Updates to Maintain Eligibility
Registered workers will be required to regularly update personal and professional details such as address, occupation, mobile number, and skills on the portal. The rules warn that failure to keep information updated may lead to loss of eligibility for social security benefits.
The draft rules are currently open for public comments, after which the government may finalise the framework for extending social protection to India’s growing gig and platform workforce.
