The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is the social security body under the jurisdiction of
Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India that is responsible for regulation and management
of provident funds, pensions and the mandatory life insurance in India. The EPFO administers the
mandatory provident fund and the mandatory pension and life insurance schemes for the Indian workforce.
It also manages social security agreements with other countries. International workers are covered under
EPFO plans in countries where bilateral agreements have been signed. As of May 2021, 19 such agreements
are in place. The EPFO's apex decision making body is the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), a statutory
body established by the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
EPFO is one of the World's largest Social Security Organisations in terms of clientele and the volume of
Tax transactions undertaken. At present it maintains 19.34 crore accounts (Annual Report 2016-17)
pertaining to its members.
The Employees' Provident Fund came into existence with the promulgation of the Employees' Provident Funds
Ordinance on the 15th November, 1951. It was replaced by the Employees' Provident Funds Act, 1952. The
Employees' Provident Funds Bill was introduced in the Parliament as Bill Number 15 of the year 1952 as a
Bill to provide for the institution of provident funds for employees in factories and other
establishments. The Act is now referred as the Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions
Act, 1952 which extends to the whole of India. The Act and Schemes framed there under are administered
by a tri-partite Board known as the Central Board of Trustees, Employees' Provident Fund,consisting of
representatives of Government (Both Central and State), Employers, and Employees.
The Central Board of Trustees administers a contributory provident fund, pension scheme and an insurance
scheme for the workforce engaged in the organized sector in India. The Board is assisted by the
Employees' PF Organization (EPFO), consisting of offices at 135 locations across the country. The
Organization has a well equipped training set up where officers and employees of the Organization as
well as Representatives of the Employers and Employees attend sessions for trainings and seminars.The
EPFO is under the administrative control of Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India
The Board operates three schemes - EPF Scheme 1952, Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS) and Insurance Scheme 1976
(EDLI).