SYLLABUS

GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context: The e-Shram Portal, launched on 26 August 2021 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, completes five years in 2026, marking a major milestone in building an inclusive and technology-enabled social security ecosystem for India’s unorganised workforce.

About the e-Shram Portal

• e-Shram is a national digital platform for the registration and welfare of unorganised workers, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

• It created India’s first Aadhaar-authenticated National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) and provides every registered worker with a unique 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN).

• An unorganised worker includes a home-based, self-employed or wage worker in the unorganised sector, as well as workers in the organised sector who are not members of EPFO/ESIC or government employees.

• Its key objectives are to enable convergence of social security and welfare schemes, improve portability of benefits for migrant and construction workers, facilitate secure sharing of worker data through APIs, and support evidence-based policymaking and planning during emergencies and crises.

• The e-Shram One-Stop Solution, launched on 21 October 2024, transformed the portal from a worker database into an integrated service-delivery platform.

• It brings together 15 social security and welfare schemes, including PM-SYM, PMSBY, PMJJBY, NSAP, ONORC and PMAY-G, while connecting workers with National Career Service (NCS), Skill India Digital Hub and myScheme.

• Eligible workers can enrol in PMSBY, providing ₹2 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability and ₹1 lakh for partial disability; 

• PMJJBY provides ₹2 lakh life insurance cover; and PM-SYM provides an assured minimum pension of ₹3,000 per month after 60 years, subject to eligibility.

• Bhashini-enabled multilingual functionality in 22 languages was introduced in 2025. The portal also captures family details of migrant workers and facilitates sharing of construction-worker data with States/UTs for registration with BOCW Boards.

• Registration is free and available to workers aged 16 years and above engaged in the unorganised sector, subject to eligibility. 

• Workers can register through the e-Shram portal, CSCs, State Seva Kendras and government field officers using Aadhaar for e-KYC and a mobile number.

Key Achievements and Significance

• Large-scale coverage: With 31.89 crore registrations, e-Shram has created one of India’s largest databases of unorganised workers, with women comprising 54.28% of registrations. 

• Social-security inclusion: By giving unorganised workers a national digital identity, e-Shram brings previously fragmented workers into a more formal and identifiable social-security ecosystem. 

• Portable welfare delivery: Its national database and inter-State convergence can improve portability of benefits for migrant and construction workers whose employment and residence frequently change. 

• Integrated service delivery: The One-Stop Solution integrates 15 welfare schemes with employment, skilling, apprenticeship and pension services, reducing fragmentation and improving access to government support. 

• Evidence-based governance: Secure data sharing through APIs and a comprehensive worker database can enable better targeting, planning, policymaking and crisis response. 

• Future of work: Registration of around 11.5 lakh gig and platform workers, alongside multilingual access through Bhashini, strengthens the social-security framework for emerging forms of employment and diverse workers.

Challenges/ Hurdles

• Last-mile access: Digital registration must translate into actual access to benefits, requiring continued digital literacy, awareness and assisted access.

• Data accuracy and updating: The effectiveness of e-Shram depends on accurate and regularly updated worker information.

• Effective portability and convergence: Integration across States and Departments must ensure seamless access to benefits, particularly for migrant and construction workers.

• Social protection for emerging workers: Registration of gig and platform workers needs to translate into adequate and sustainable social security coverage.