NEW DELHI: India was on Friday conferred with the prestigious International Social Security Association (ISSA) award 2025 for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Social Security’. Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya received the award at the World Social Security Forum in Malaysia.
An official release from the Labour Ministry said that India was chosen as the 2025 recipient for expanding social security coverage from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, reaching over 940 million citizens, a milestone also recognised by the International Labour Organisation.
The Labour Minister elaborated on the establishment of an extensive digital public infrastructure in India for efficient last-mile delivery of social security benefits, with special reference to the e-Shram portal. “The e-Shram portal is a National Digital Database that serves as a 'One-Stop Solution' connecting over 310 million unorganised workers with social welfare schemes through a multilingual, seamless interface,” he stated.
Mandaviya also drew attention to the National Career Service (NCS) portal, which is equipped with robust digital tools to bring job seekers and employers on a common platform. "Today, NCS has an authenticated database of skilled workforce, which is easily accessible for employers worldwide, and is integrated with e-Shram. This will ensure our skilled youth can access global opportunities without losing their social security benefits,” he explained.
Earlier in the day, during the plenary session of World Social Security Summit, Mandaviya also underlined the role of India’s two leading social security organisations, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), in providing a wide range of healthcare, insurance, pension schemes to the nation’s workforce, the release said.
Being the fifth recipient of this award since its inception, India joins the leading countries across the globe in the field of Social Protection coverage, the release added.