Nagaland poor in social security even as country makes big stride

•    Only 25k EPF subscribers
•    Incompliant employers 
•    Poor workforce awareness

Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 4

Between 2015 and 2025, social security coverage in India jumped from 19 percent to 64.3 percent. “That's a drastic improvement in the social security coverage of the working class in India,” said an Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) official on November 4. 

The official, Samuel Das, the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-II of the EPFO Special State Office, in Dimapur, told a press conference, on Tuesday, that the improvement benefited approximately 940 million Indian workers, which he attributed to proactive measures taken by the EPFO. 

According to him, the strides made by the country in social security coverage was recently internationally recognised, with India handed the ‘Best Achievement Award in Social Security’ at the International Social Security Association (ISSA) meeting in Kuala Lumpur on October 3, last. 

The EPFO Special State Office in Dimapur also got national recognition, winning the ‘Best Remote Office in India’ on EPFO’s foundation day on November 1 in Delhi. 

The EPFO is a statutory body in India, established under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, for ensuring social security — pension and insurance funds — to workers in the private sector and Public Sector Undertakings. It primarily administers a compulsory contributory employee provident fund (EPF) and insurance scheme. The law requires that a business establishment with 20 or more employees must compulsorily register with the organisation, ensuring a contributory pension and insurance scheme for the employees. 

Nagaland status

Nagaland is also reportedly waking up to state mandated social security. The progress however has not been relative to the big strides made nationally. “While India has made tremendous progress, Nagaland is lagging behind in terms of EPF enrollment and realising the benefits of these schemes," said Das.

In a state with a population of approximately 20-plus lakh, Nagaland has an EPF subscriber base of only around 25,000, as per the record of the EPFO Dimapur office. 

Das said that the objective of the state office has been to enhance awareness activities to draw the people’s attention to the benefits of EPF, and enhancing enrolment by both employees and employers. But many private business establishments in the state meeting the EPF criteria continue to evade implementing a contributory pension scheme for employees. 

He highlighted the Central government’s initiatives aimed at boosting EPF enrolment and benefits, including the Pradhan Mantri Dixit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PMVPRY), a scheme launched on August 1, 2025 that provides incentives for both employees and employers. 

Under this scheme, first-time EPF members are eligible for a reimbursement of up to Rs 15,000 in two installments. Employers also stand to gain, with an incentive of up to Rs 3,000 for each new employee they enroll.

He added that the target is to increase the number of EPF subscribers in Nagaland from the current 25,000 to at least 1,00,000 by the end of the ongoing financial year. 

He cited the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme 2025 as another EPFO initiative to bring more establishments into the EPF fold. This scheme, which began on November 1, 2025, offers a “limited time opportunity” or amnesty to employers to enroll previously unregistered employees with a token penalty of Rs 100, with no retroactive contribution asked of the employees.

Once the amnesty period gets over, he said that the government will take stricter action against non-compliant employers, which could include prosecution, legal action, and even arrest for non-payment of dues.

He attributed the low EPF subscription to a general lack of awareness among the working class as well as reluctance among employers. He urged all eligible employees to engage in conversations with their employers and to bring any concerns or challenges to the attention of the state EPFO in Dimapur. He added that the identity of the complainant will be kept confidential.

According to him, incompliant employers should choose opt cooperation over litigation as the latter would involve expensive legal battles. 

To promote awareness, he said that the state EPFO will continue conducting awareness meetings with employees and employers in various parts of the state, including setting up a stall at the upcoming Hornbill Festival 2025. Meanwhile, he said that they will continue reaching out to any private establishments, including schools, colleges, hospitals and news organisations.