The Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act, 2023 is a pioneering state-level Act in India, passed by the Rajasthan Assembly on July 24, 2023, and receiving the Governor's assent on September 12, 2023. Rajasthan became the first state to enact a specific law for the welfare of gig and platform workers, addressing the regulatory vacuum where these workers were classified as "partners" rather than "employees" and lacked traditional labour rights. The Act aims to provide social security and safeguard gig workers, who operate outside the traditional employer-employee relationship, from exploitation.
The Act's mechanism centers on mandatory registration and a dedicated funding structure. It mandates the registration of all platform-based gig workers and aggregators operating in the state. Each registered worker is assigned a Unique ID to track their work history and entitlements across all platforms. The Act establishes the Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Board under Section 3 to oversee the law's implementation and the Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig Workers Social Security and Welfare Fund under Section 10. This Fund is financed by a Welfare Fee or cess, which is a levy imposed on aggregators at a rate between 1% and 2% of the value of each platform transaction. The Act also includes a Grievance Redressal Mechanism under Article 14 for workers to raise complaints regarding payments and benefits.
This state legislation connects directly to the central government's Code on Social Security, 2020, which first introduced statutory definitions for 'gig workers' and 'platform workers'. The Rajasthan Act broadened the definition of "aggregator" to include entities that coordinate with one or more aggregators. Following Rajasthan's lead, other states like Karnataka and Jharkhand have also moved to create similar welfare frameworks for their gig workers. The Act has not been replaced or significantly amended since its enactment, but its provisions, such as the levy rate and specific social security schemes, are subject to rules and notifications by the State Government.