Empowering Gig Workers: A New Social Security Initiative

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a new social security scheme for gig workers. These measures include providing identity cards and healthcare, benefiting nearly 1 crore gig workers. The e-Shram portal will facilitate their registration, ensuring access to social welfare and recognition within the formal economy.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has revealed a social security scheme aimed at supporting the vast gig workforce employed through online platforms. This initiative will provide identity cards and facilitate registration on the e-Shram portal, designed to integrate these workers into the social security framework.

The scheme promises to bring almost 1 crore gig workers under the umbrella of various social welfare programs, including healthcare provided through the PM Jan Arogya Yojana. By acknowledging their significant role within the modern services economy, the government aims to harness their potential for national economic growth.

Experts and industry leaders have welcomed this move, emphasizing the necessity of integrating gig workers further into the formal economy. Suggestions include enhancing social security provisions with contributory benefits and improving working conditions to ensure comprehensive support and acknowledgment of the gig workforce's economic contributions.