India, Sept. 16 -- The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to raise the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per month.

The decision is expected to bring more than 51 lakh additional employees under mandatory EPFO coverage, significantly expanding social security protection for workers.

The EPFO wage ceiling remained unchanged throughout the decade from 2004 to 2014 before being substantially increased to Rs 15,000 in September 2014. The latest decision further raises the ceiling to Rs 25,000, taking into account sustained wage growth, rising incomes and the continued exp...