Consider the following : 1. Hotels and restaurants 2. Motor transport undertakings 3. Newspaper establishments 4. Private medical institutions The employees of which of the above can have the ‘Social Security’ coverage under Employees’ State Insurance Scheme?

The Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Act, 1948, provides a comprehensive social security scheme for workers in India. While initially applicable to non-seasonal factories, the scope has been significantly expanded under Section 1(5) of the Act. According to official guidelines, the Central and State Governments have extended ESI coverage to several specific categories of establishments. These include hotels and restaurants, road-motor transport undertakings, and newspaper establishments [2]. Furthermore, the scheme specifically covers private medical institutions and educational institutions that meet the minimum employment threshold, which is typically 10 or more persons in most states [2]. Since all four listed categories—hotels and restaurants, motor transport undertakings, newspaper establishments, and private medical institutions—are explicitly mentioned as covered entities under the extended provisions of the ESI Act, all of them are eligible for social security coverage under the scheme.

Sources

1. [1] https://labour.gov.in/en/statutory-organisations
2. [2] https://esic.gov.in/coverage