evidence: - The Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (EPF & MP Act) which applies to specific scheduled factories and establishments employing 20 or more employees and ensures terminal benefits to provident fund, superannuation pension, and family pension in case of death during service. Separate laws exist for similar benefits for the workers in the coal mines and tea plantations. [...] In India currently only about 35 million out of a workforce of 400 million have access to formal social security in the form of old-age income protection. This includes private sector workers, civil servants, military personnel and employees of State Public Sector Undertakings. Out of these 35 million, 26 million workers are members of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization. As such the current publicly managed system in India is more or less entirely anchored by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation. It may be noted that in the last 50 years, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation has been in existence, there has been no instance of any scam or a situation where the Fund has been exposed to speculation and risk. Another important contribution of EPF is now proposed to extend to the critical life benefit of providing shelter. The Shramik Awas Yojana aims at providing a cost effective Housing Scheme specific for EPF numbers. This involves cooperation between organizations such as HUDCO, Housing Agencies, State Governments, Employers and EPF Members with the EPFO playing the role of facilitator. The investments are directed into the prescribed securities and portfolios as per the pattern laid down by the Finance Ministry.