Decoding the Code: A Focus on the Language Employed in Chapter IX of the Code on Social Security, 2020

Social Security is often regarded as a basic human right, but it is imperative that it differs from country to country. In fact, that is one of the major disapprovals of the Indian Social Security Code that it allows different states within the country to have different social security measures. The overarching role of the Government in labour issues in India has been heavily reflected in labour legislations and the Social Security Code is not any different. Welfare “schemes”, divided up between the states and the centre, requiring worker level registrations, without specifying any minimum floor level protections or benefits, are not anywhere near what the objective of the Code is wanting to achieve. This paper would focus on the Social Security benefits for the unorganised sector in India and discern the language of empty promises provided in Chapter IX of the Social Security Code 2020. The scope of this paper would only be limited to the language of the provisions of the Social Security Code under Chapter IX because it is yet to be seen how they would be implemented by the appropriate governments or interpreted by the courts.