e-Shram Portal

e-Shram Portal

Prelims:

Government schemes

Mains:

GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for vulnerable sections, GS Paper III: Indian Economy

Current affairs:

The e-Shram Portal completed five years on 26 August 2026. Launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on 26 August 2021, it created India's first Aadhaar-authenticated National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW).

Highlights:

About e-Shram Portal:

1.        Launch: Launched on 26 August 2021 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

2.      Developed by: National Informatics Centre (NIC).

3.      National Database: It created India's first Aadhaar-authenticated National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW).

4.      Universal Account Number: Every registered worker receives a unique 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN).

5.      Coverage: It covers diverse groups such as agricultural labourers, construction workers, domestic workers, migrant workers, street vendors, gig and platform workers and other unorganised workers.

6.      An unorganised worker includes a home-based worker, self-employed worker or wage worker in the unorganised sector, as well as an organised-sector worker who is not covered by ESIC, EPFO or Government employment.

Major Objectives:

1.        Welfare Convergence: Improve social-security delivery by enabling convergence of welfare schemes across Ministries and Departments.

2.      Portability: Facilitate nationwide access and portability of social-security and welfare benefits, particularly for migrant and construction workers.

3.      Evidence-Based Policy: Enable secure sharing of worker data with government agencies through APIs, supporting effective welfare delivery and policymaking.

4.      National Database: Develop a comprehensive database of India's unorganised workforce.

5.      Crisis Response: Support timely planning and government response during national emergencies and crises.

e-Shram One-Stop Solution:

The portal evolved from a worker registry into a unified service-delivery platform with the launch of the e-Shram One-Stop Solution on 21 October 2024.

1.        It integrates welfare, employment, skilling and pension services on a single digital platform.

2.      It brings together 15 Social Security and Welfare Schemes, including PM-SYM, PMSBY, PMJJBY, NSAP, ONORC and PMAY-G.

3.      Workers can access the National Career Service (NCS) for employment opportunities.

4.      Skill India Digital Hub provides access to skilling and apprenticeship opportunities.

5.      myScheme helps workers identify government schemes for which they may be eligible.

6.      Eligible workers can access PM-SYM, providing a minimum assured pension of ₹3,000 per month after attaining 60 years, subject to eligibility.

7.      Multilingual functionality in 22 languages, powered by Bhashini, was introduced in 2025.

Inclusion of Migrant, Construction & Gig Workers:

1.        Migrant Workers: The portal provides for capturing family details of migrant workers, strengthening their inclusion in the database.

2.      Construction Workers: Data can be shared with States and Union Territories to facilitate registration with respective Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Boards.

3.      Gig & Platform Workers: e-Shram enables their identification and registration within the national database of unorganised workers.

4.      Around 11.5 lakh platform workers have registered on the portal.

5.      Such data can support the formulation and implementation of appropriate social-security and welfare measures for platform workers.

Registration & Eligibility:

1.        Eligibility: Any unorganised worker aged 16 years and above can register.

2.      The worker must not be an income-tax payer or a member of EPFO or ESIC.

3.      Free Registration: Registration is completely free of cost.

4.      Registration Channels: Workers can register through the e-Shram Portal, Common Service Centres (CSCs), State Seva Kendras, or with assistance from State government field officials.

5.      Documents: Registration requires an Aadhaar number for e-KYC and a mobile number, preferably linked with Aadhaar.

6.      Registration is designed as a one-time process.

7.      Coverage:

·         Women constitute 54.28% of registered workers on the e-Shram Portal, while men account for 45.72%.

·         Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have the highest registrations.

Significance:

1.        Digital Identity: Provides unorganised workers with a nationwide digital identity through the UAN and NDUW.

2.      Inclusive Social Security: Integrates multiple welfare and social-security services into a single digital ecosystem.

3.      Benefit Portability: Particularly important for migrant and mobile workers requiring access to benefits across locations.

4.      Targeted Welfare: A comprehensive worker database supports more targeted and transparent delivery of government support.

5.      Policy Planning: Worker data strengthens evidence-based policymaking and crisis-response planning.

6.      Inclusive Growth: e-Shram acts as a digital pillar for extending social protection to India's vast unorganised workforce and building a more inclusive, technology-enabled labour welfare system.

Source: PIB - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2303053&reg=6&lang=1