Lok Sabha Question No. 343 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Welfare of Informal and Gig Workers in Kerala
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Benny Behanan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 343 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## WELFARE OF INFORMAL AND GIG WORKERS IN KERALA

## 343.  SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether the Government has taken any note of the growing shift from formal employment to informal and platform-based work in Kerala, particularly among educated youth and returned migrants and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether any assessment has been conducted on the coverage of workers under social security schemes, including ESI, EPFO, and the  e-Shram  portal  in  the  country,  State/UT-wise  with  specific reference to Kerala and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)whether  the  Government  proposes  to  introduce  State-specific interventions to address job insecurity in Kerala including portable social security benefits, unemployment support and skill recertification for workers transitioning between sectors and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)whether any steps are being considered to ensure labour protections, minimum income safeguards and grievance redressal mechanisms for platform and gig workers in Kerala?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (d):  Employment generation coupled with improving employability is a priority of the Government.  Accordingly, Government  is  implementing  various  employment  generation schemes/  programmes.  The  details  of  the  major  employment generation schemes/programmes implemented by the Government are at   https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes\_programmes.

Contd..2/-

The Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, is running the National Career Service (NCS) Portal which is a one-stop solution for providing career related services including jobs from private and government sectors, information on online & offline  job  fairs,  job  search  &  matching,  career  counselling, vocational  guidance,  information  on  skill  development  courses, skill/training programmes etc. through a digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in].

To enhance the employability, digital and career skills of  jobseekers  and  empower  &  equip  youth  with  an  array  of essential  employable  skills,  NCS  Portal  inter-alia  offers  online employability enhancement programmes, digital skill enhancement programmes and self-paced career skill programmes. NCS portal is integrated with Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) that is specially designed and developed to skill, reskill and upskill individuals through an online training platform for jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. The integration of NCS Portal with SIDH has paved the way for the skilled jobseekers on SIDH to avail the benefits of NCS Portal and the jobseekers of NCS to avail the skilling services offered by SIDH.

Total  number  of  contributing  members  in  Employees'

Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is 7.78 Crore.

There are 14.91 Crore beneficiaries including 3.84 Crore insured persons under Employees' State Insurance scheme. The field  offices  identify  the  uncovered  units  from  the  data  of  the Micro,  Small  &  Medium  Enterprises  (MSME),  EPFO  and  other organisations to cover the unrecoverable units under the ambit of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

Recently, ESIC launched Scheme for Promotion of Registration  of  Employers  and  Employees  (SPREE)  to  create awareness about the coverage in ESIC and to provide one-time opportunity  to  all  uncovered  employers  to  register  their  units under ESIC with the facility of not submitting any previous records, and to register new employees for already covered units.

Contd..3/-

During SPREE, the details of the coverage under State of Kerala up to 24.12.2026 are:

Employer :4310

Employees :200902

The Ministry of Labour and Employment had launched eShram  portal  on  26.08.2021  for  creation  of  a  Comprehensive National  Database  of  Unorganised  Workers  including  platform workers,  migrant  workers  etc.  The  eShram  portal  registers  the unorganised  workers  including  gig  and  platform  workers  and provides  them  a  Universal  Account  Number  (UAN)  on  a  selfdeclaration basis. As on 28.01.2026, over 31.48 crore unorganised workers  have  already  been  registered  on  eShram  portal.  The details of State-wise number of unorganised workers registered on eShram portal enrolled under different social security schemes is annexed.

The Code on Social Security, 2020 has come into force on 21.11.2025 with the objective to consolidate and simplify the existing social security laws into a single framework and to extend social  security  coverage  to  all  workers,  including  organized, unorganized, gig, platform, and self-employed workers, by ensuring universal access to social security benefits, promoting portability of benefits across employments and States, enabling the Central and State Governments to frame appropriate schemes, leveraging technology for efficient delivery, and clearly defining the roles of governments,  employers,  and  aggregators  in  order  to  provide comprehensive  social  protection  to  the  workforce  in  line  with evolving labour market conditions.

For  the  first  time,  the  definition  of  'gig  workers'  and 'platform workers' and provisions related to the same have been provided in the Code on Social Security, 2020.  The Code provides for framing of suitable social security measures for gig workers and  platform  workers  on  matters  relating  to  life  and  disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits, old age protection, etc. The Code also provides for setting up of a Social Security Fund for financing of social security and welfare schemes for gig and platform workers.

The Code has provisions for setting up a toll-free call centre, or helpline or facilitation centres for unorganised, gig, and platform workers  by  the  appropriate  Government.  These  facilities  are  to disseminate  information  on  available  social  security  schemes, facilitate filing, processing and forwarding of application forms for registration, assist to obtain registration and facilitate the enrolment of the registered unorganized workers, gig workers and platform workers in the social security schemes. *                                                 *****

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 343 for 02.02.2026 regarding 'Welfare of Informal and Gig Workers in Kerala'

State/UT-wise details of unorganised workers registered on eShram portal enrolled under different social security schemes as on 27.01.2026.

|   Sl.N o. | State/Uts                   | ONORC       | PM- SVANIDH I   | MGNRE GA   | PMAY-G    | IGNDP S   | IGNWP S   | PMAY-U   | PMM SY   | PMJJBY    | PMSBY     | PMJAY       | PMKISAN   | PMMV Y   |
|-----------|-----------------------------|-------------|-----------------|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|----------|----------|-----------|-----------|-------------|-----------|----------|
|         1 | Andaman And Nicobar Islands | 9,350       | 180             | 2,191      | 364       | 1         | 5         | 16       | 13       | 4,859     | 11,716    | 25,931      | 1,316     | 27       |
|         2 | Andhra Pradesh              | 54,92,172   | 1,37,372        | 34,74,803  | 61,816    | 5,110     | 1,30,314  | 4,80,588 | 1,203    | 11,31,808 | 31,09,075 | 75,15,741   | 10,48,989 | 48,289   |
|         3 | Arunachal Pradesh           | 1,20,277    | 2,532           | 98,175     | 7,988     | 340       | 1,361     | 2,197    | 17       | 16,142    | 61,114    | 48,212      | 46,127    | 84       |
|         4 | Assam                       | 70,99,856   | 24,977          | 24,33,229  | 2,81,048  | 8,832     | 29,867    | 27,881   | 2,718    | 3,77,494  | 16,39,988 | 41,16,775   | 10,32,072 | 1,47,687 |
|         5 | Bihar                       | 2,69,98,941 | 86,753          | 51,04,073  | 19,31,267 | 20,866    | 83,556    | 45,887   | 550      | 21,33,461 | 89,48,182 | 2,43,52,485 | 38,32,574 | 4,90,564 |
|         6 | Chandigarh                  | 1,25,167    | 3,413           | 2,105      | 825       | 27        | 322       | 76       | -        | 15,276    | 49,508    | 1,07,439    | 7,866     | 3,262    |
|         7 | Chhattisgarh                | 65,15,437   | 44,489          | 37,99,348  | 5,08,421  | 12,710    | 74,971    | 77,713   | 178      | 7,74,111  | 28,86,076 | 78,44,126   | 12,09,886 | 1,40,607 |
|         8 | Delhi                       | 22,75,624   | 92,832          | 28,548     | 16,441    | 1,148     | 535       | 3,389    | 7        | 2,04,762  | 8,08,131  | 4,26,661    | 1,18,054  | 57,683   |
|         9 | Goa                         | 46,876      | 323             | 2,187      | 134       | 48        | 601       | 8        | 27       | 8,596     | 23,756    | 12,997      | 2,010     | 1,165    |
|        10 | Gujarat                     | 90,08,502   | 2,29,038        | 13,36,630  | 2,51,636  | 7,580     | 1,00,363  | 26,918   | 93       | 8,56,368  | 28,88,094 | 96,48,461   | 17,38,643 | 1,17,336 |
|        11 | Haryana                     | 44,45,813   | 77,946          | 5,36,513   | 16,836    | 7,157     | 23,574    | 8,858    | 298      | 6,04,428  | 14,64,451 | 43,24,808   | 4,26,741  | 38,043   |
|        12 | Himachal Pradesh            | 10,33,668   | 2,753           | 7,53,998   | 9,977     | 55        | 1,585     | 4,094    | 75       | 1,47,357  | 4,33,530  | 6,41,613    | 3,54,892  | 596      |
|        13 | Jammu And Kashmir           | 28,21,189   | 11,145          | 9,51,267   | 1,35,891  | 950       | 2,463     | 17,054   | 411      | 26,086    | 1,24,045  | 34,03,135   | 4,71,072  | 55,738   |
|        14 | Jharkhand                   | 83,19,490   | 44,770          | 23,18,048  | 5,68,277  | 9,042     | 49,384    | 41,458   | 1,857    | 11,01,548 | 37,59,459 | 52,46,825   | 12,62,970 | 1,00,750 |
|        15 | Karnataka                   | 77,44,456   | 1,52,971        | 30,04,200  | 55,840    | 10,512    | 1,09,222  | 22,730   | 189      | 7,39,993  | 22,68,269 | 39,97,566   | 9,73,294  | 1,97,640 |
|        16 | Kerala                      | 36,69,058   | 49,495          | 12,34,720  | 10,098    | 3,907     | 87,290    | 43,650   | 458      | 2,15,312  | 11,44,021 | 22,80,959   | 10,84,884 | 58,052   |
|        17 | Ladakh                      | 26,139      | 129             | 13,663     | 484       | 7         | 24        | 97       | 24       | 1,002     | 3,808     | 31,615      | 7,968     | 556      |
|        18 | Lakshadweep                 | 1,487       | 3               | 70         | 10        | 8         | 2         | 1        | 1        | 178       | 560       | 1,850       | 308       | 28       |
|        19 | Madhya Pradesh              | 1,57,01,449 | 4,72,091        | 41,83,220  | 2,93,914  | 2,913     | 9,386     | 1,86,362 | 605      | 14,96,762 | 64,85,385 | 1,27,37,279 | 29,08,465 | 4,86,037 |

|   20 | Maharashtra                                  | 1,39,94,832   | 3,18,991   | 26,75,243   | 2,21,922   | 2,443   | 30,700   | 35,372    | 751   | 15,03,714   | 50,16,948   | 1,08,76,049   | 22,58,235   | 2,65,640   |
|------|----------------------------------------------|---------------|------------|-------------|------------|---------|----------|-----------|-------|-------------|-------------|---------------|-------------|------------|
|   21 | Manipur                                      | 4,23,103      | 4,841      | 1,98,247    | 29,014     | 71      | 2,069    | 8,143     | 216   | 18,285      | 80,276      | 1,94,744      | 29,530      | 14,519     |
|   22 | Meghalaya                                    | 2,14,024      | 19         | 2,11,017    | 45,268     | 236     | 1,766    | 738       | 417   | 15,855      | 69,810      | 1,96,027      | 76,100      | 3,957      |
|   23 | Mizoram                                      | 52,320        | 590        | 27,062      | 5,058      | 29      | 102      | 2,490     | 5     | 2,029       | 8,830       | 49,334        | 21,158      | 357        |
|   24 | Nagaland                                     | 2,30,393      | 1,586      | 77,629      | 13,391     | 20      | 139      | 7,541     | 625   | 13,780      | 72,300      | 1,98,434      | 89,553      | 3,687      |
|   25 | Odisha                                       | 1,22,37,510   | 35,156     | 28,03,470   | 11,41,221  | 33,996  | 1,59,153 | 75,568    | 415   | 15,79,286   | 55,38,106   | 27,002        | 19,67,756   | 1,849      |
|   26 | Puducherry                                   | 1,58,666      | 1,579      | 30,311      | 90         | 181     | 515      | 5,259     | 6,988 | 11,361      | 33,281      | 1,19,355      | 2,973       | 1,261      |
|   27 | Punjab                                       | 45,27,787     | 76,339     | 7,01,010    | 16,951     | 1,022   | 2,659    | 14,294    | 46    | 4,82,181    | 15,55,562   | 30,49,197     | 2,37,665    | 1,08,449   |
|   28 | Rajasthan                                    | 1,05,55,516   | 89,877     | 48,12,706   | 4,46,165   | 5,723   | 48,082   | 49,915    | 3     | 13,17,827   | 47,42,729   | 65,46,447     | 22,65,724   | 4,64,371   |
|   29 | Sikkim                                       | 38,025        | 273        | 15,707      | 200        | 1       | 3        | 4         | 31    | 5,360       | 15,207      | 11,209        | 5,206       | 270        |
|   30 | Tamil Nadu                                   | 61,15,357     | 86,603     | 35,23,842   | 2,07,545   | 7,351   | 57,260   | 45,012    | 1,649 | 6,14,956    | 19,36,258   | 45,83,677     | 5,48,163    | 41,923     |
|   31 | Telangana                                    | 31,51,597     | 1,39,837   | 16,78,141   | 689        | 5,423   | 22,990   | 807       | 56    | 4,35,452    | 12,56,343   | 22,47,439     | 7,11,342    | 819        |
|   32 | The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu | 54,422        | 705        | 1,578       | 1,075      | 10      | 55       | 148       | 3     | 7,013       | 16,999      | 51,812        | 4,366       | 123        |
|   33 | Tripura                                      | 6,57,330      | 2,819      | 4,92,681    | 1,55,578   | 299     | 1,430    | 20,504    | 1,124 | 89,989      | 2,25,797    | 8,22,072      | 1,11,433    | 66         |
|   34 | Uttar Pradesh                                | 6,78,56,430   | 9,54,658   | 92,73,867   | 17,68,140  | 4,577   | 44,404   | 10,90,163 | 1,622 | 44,08,168   | 1,87,37,113 | 3,24,06,684   | 1,20,58,012 | 2,44,262   |
|   35 | Uttarakhand                                  | 21,26,113     | 15,186     | 6,12,046    | 37,443     | 370     | 3,489    | 14,541    | 185   | 1,98,863    | 8,76,380    | 27,65,447     | 3,56,622    | 58,392     |
|   36 | West Bengal                                  | 1,88,78,776   | 86,999     | 54,31,174   | 15,82,497  | 14,578  | 93,515   | 1,28,707  | 1,014 | 19,92,422   | 88,33,727   | 96,788        | 22,69,167   | 22,261     |

*****