More than 30.68 crore unorganised workers have registered for social welfare benefits on the government’s e-Shram portal, with women accounting for 53.68% of the total registrants as of March 3. This information was shared by Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The government launched the e-Shram portal on August 26, 2021, with the objective of creating a comprehensive National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW), seeded with Aadhaar. The portal provides registered workers with a Universal Account Number (UAN) on a self-declaration basis, enabling them to access various social security schemes. Expanding on this initiative, the Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the e-Shram–One-Stop-Solution on October 21, 2024, aligning with the budgetary vision of integrating multiple welfare schemes into a single digital platform.
The e-Shram–One-Stop-Solution integrates 13 central government schemes, allowing unorganised workers to access benefits through a unified platform. These schemes include Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM-SVANidhi), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), and Ayushman Bharat, among others. The integration allows registered workers to track the benefits availed through the portal, streamlining access to social security provisions.
To enhance accessibility, the e-Shram portal introduced multilingual functionality on January 7, incorporating the Bhashini platform to support 22 Indian languages. This initiative aims to make the portal more inclusive, enabling workers from diverse linguistic backgrounds to engage with the platform seamlessly.
Additionally, on February 24, the Ministry launched the e-Shram mobile application, which provides real-time access to welfare schemes integrated with the portal. The application is designed to improve convenience for workers, allowing them to stay informed about available benefits and access them directly from their mobile devices.
Efforts to promote awareness about e-Shram and its associated services include periodic review meetings with state governments and regular interactions with Common Services Centres (CSCs). The government has also integrated e-Shram with the National Career Service (NCS) and Skill India Digital Portal to provide employment and skill development opportunities. Furthermore, to facilitate enrolment in pension schemes, the portal is linked to the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandan (PMSYM) scheme.
In a bid to enhance discovery and accessibility of government schemes, e-Shram is also integrated with the myScheme portal, ensuring workers can find relevant welfare programs with ease. An SMS campaign has been initiated to create further awareness among unorganised workers regarding the benefits available to them through the platform.
