India Honoured With ISSA 2025 Award for Excellence in Social Security

India has been honoured with the International Social Security Association (ISSA) Award for outstanding achievement in social security, recognising the country’s efforts to expand and strengthen social welfare coverage over the past decade.

Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, received the award on behalf of the Government of India at the World Social Security Forum (WSSF) 2025 in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Mandaviya shared the development on his official X handle.

“Proud to announce that India has been awarded the prestigious ISSA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Social Security 2025. This recognition reflects the efforts of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji in advancing social welfare for every citizen,” he wrote on X.

Highlighting India’s remarkable growth in social security coverage, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, “Over the last decade, India has achieved one of the fastest expansions of social security in the world, increasing coverage from 19% in 2015 to 64.3% in 2025, reaching over 940 million citizens.”

The ISSA, a Geneva-based international organisation affiliated with the International Labour Organization (ILO), presents the award to countries demonstrating exceptional commitment and innovation in extending social protection. Selection is based on the impact, scalability, and sustainability of social security reforms.

Following this expansion, India’s voting share in the ISSA General Assembly has risen to thirty (30), the highest for any country, according to the Ministry of Labour & Employment.

Speaking at the event, Mandaviya added, “This award reflects the vision of our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, and our guiding principle of Antyodaya, empowering the last person in line, which has driven our journey toward inclusive and universal social protection.”

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