India’s Social Security Coverage Crosses 100 Crore

India’s social security coverage crossed 100 crore beneficiaries by July 2026, with official estimates placing coverage at more than 64% of the population in 2025. The expansion was linked to labour welfare, digital registration systems, and formal sector protection measures across multiple central schemes.

Social Security in India

Social security refers to state-backed protection against risks such as old age, sickness, unemployment, maternity, disability, and workplace injury. In India, major institutions for this framework include the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation and the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation.

Key Institutional Coverage

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation had over eight crore active members and 80 lakh pensioners as of 14 July 2026. The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation covered more than 15 crore insured persons and their dependants on the same date. The e-Shram portal had registered over 31.7 crore unorganised workers by 14 July 2026. The portal is a national database for unorganised workers and is used to connect workers with social security benefits.

Employment and Welfare Expansion

Nearly 17 crore employment opportunities were created in the last decade. The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana aims to generate 3.5 crore formal sector jobs over the next two years through employment-linked incentives. The Union Government had set a target of bringing 100 crore citizens under social security coverage by March 2026. The target was announced on 26 December 2025.

Recent Welfare Scheme Announcement

On 6 July 2026, a new welfare scheme was announced with an allocation of Rs 50,000 crore. The scheme will provide direct financial assistance annually to eligible families from economically weaker sections and middle-class households from the following month.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation is a statutory body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation administers health and social security benefits for insured workers and their dependants.
• The e-Shram portal was launched for unorganised workers in India.
• BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Labour Welfare Framework

India’s labour welfare framework includes contributory schemes, insurance-based protection, and digital worker databases. The coverage expansion in 2025 and 2026 placed social security among the largest welfare networks in the world.