BENGALURU: The state government tabled the Karnataka Platform-based Gig workers (social security and welfare) Bill, 2025 in the Assembly on Tuesday. This legislation is aimed at protecting the rights of gig workers, placing the obligation on aggregators or platforms in relation to social security, occupational health and safety.
The Bill stipulates transparency in automated monitoring and decision-making systems to provide dispute-resolution mechanisms. It allows setting up of a welfare board, creation of a welfare fund for gig workers, and register workers and aggregators or platforms.
The Bill has been drafted at the behest of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi. It states that the labour minister will be the ex-officio chairperson of the welfare board, with the additional chief secretary or principal secretary or secretary to the government or his nominee not below the rank of joint secretary of the information and technology department, commissioner, department of commercial taxes, and chief executive officer appointed by the government, who shall be executive in-charge, will be ex-officio members.
Four representatives each from the body of gig workers and aggregators or platforms and two representatives from civil society who have experience working in the field are to be nominated by the government as members. A technical expert in data collection and IT systems may be invited when necessary to provide inputs.
Compulsory service Bill for medicos
The Karnataka Compulsory Service by Candidates Completed Medical Courses Act, 2012 (Karnataka Act 26 of 2015) was also tabled in the Assembly. This provides for MBBS graduates to complete their mandatory service in urban areas when the surplus remains after postings to rural areas are done. The Bill mentions posting of postgraduates to community health Centres and other hospitals in rural areas also after issuing a conditional no-objection certificate to pursue higher studies upon submitting an undertaking to fulfill the obligation of one-year compulsory service, failing which he/she shall be liable for penalty and such other consequences as agreed upon, as per the draft.
Bill to name Bengaluru City University after MMS
The Karnataka State Universities (Amendment) Act, 2025, was tabled to name the Bengaluru City University after former Prime Minister Late Dr Manmohan Singh.
Certain other amendments were also made as the matter was urgent. This Bill will replace the Karnataka Compulsory Services by Candidates Completed Medical Courses Ordinance, 2025 (Karnataka Ordinance 06 of 2025) which was promulgated to achieve the objective in the past.