The Success of the eShram Portal: Empowering Unorganised Workers in India

Introduction

• Highly, the unorganised labour force forms a substantial part of workforce in India; however these people often do not get access to social security measures or the government services.
• In order to overcome these issues, the Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE) constructed the new portal known as eShram portal to build a unified broader system for more than 30 crore unorganised workers.
• The portal which was established in 2015 has indeed revolutionized the process of accessing social security schemes in the country and has helped millions of workers in the country.

Purpose of the eShram Portal: A One-Stop Solution for Unorganised Workers

The eShram portal was launched with the idea of centre as a ‘One-Stop-Solution’ for unorganised workers. This means that the portal is an integrated one through which different social security schemes can be accessed by the workers without applying through different government departments. The portal reduces the measure making it easier for the workers to access some benefits that they are supposed to be granted without having to go through a lot of procedural formalities.

Key Features of the eShram Portal

• Simplified Registration:
  • The unorganised workers can self-register themselves on the eShram portal through simple identification like Aadhar number and mobile number.
  • This makes the portal friendly for use by all individuals including workers from the rural and remote areas.
• Unique Identification Number:
  • Employee’s details are recorded through registration assigning him or her a Unique Identification Number (UIN) to entitle him/her to the benefits accruing him/her. This makes sure that all the workers are captured in the system so that none of them will be left behind.
• Access to Multiple Schemes:
  • What is even important is that through the portal, workers are able to find a number of social security schemes, all in one place.
  • It is in such ways that the integration of services makes it easier and faster to provide the services to the clients.
• Enhanced Transparency:
  • The eShram portal also ensures the increase of transparency through the record sheet of entitlements of the workers and the benefits rolled out to them.

Government Initiatives to Enhance the eShram Portal

• Since the eShram portal received a lot of success the government has started to launch numbers of new facilities and services for unorganised workers.
• On the 2024-25 Budget speech, the government planned to have linkages with the other portals and services as well on the portal.
• This integration has been planned to further enhance the effectiveness of the portal to increase a number of unorganized workers and welfare schemes available to them.

Budget 2024-25 Initiatives

• Linking with Other Portals: There are plans for integrating the eShram portal with social security websites such as the Aadhaar data base so that only the correct identity of the workers can be issued with the right benefits.
• Mobile Application: There are also future outputs proposed for developing a mobile-applicaion version of the portal so that the workers could also use their smart phones and bring the use of services of the portal even higher.

Linkage with the Social Security Schemes

• What eShram have proved to be efficient for the unorganised workers is its function to link them with various social security programmes. This puts a check on the several schemes meant for the workers especially those who possibly may not have the knowledge of their existence or the capacity to seek them on their own.
• The Ministry of Labour & Employment has integrated the following social security schemes with the eShram portal

Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)

The PMJJBY is the short term for the payment of lump sum amount in the event of death of the worker due to any cause. This scheme is very important to unorganised workers since many of them do not have any form of life insurance. The arrangement of linking this scheme to the eShram portal also helps the workers to register themselves for the coverage and the services they can take their family in times of exigency.

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

The Prime Minister’s Shram Shakti Vyakti Bima Yojna (PMSBY) covers the workers under group accident insurance, giving benefit in case of accidental death and disability. Since the unorganised sector jobs entail aspects of manual work, this implies that the workers require to be protected financially in event of an accident that leads to injury or death.

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)

The AB-PMJAY is basically a health insurance programme which aims at providing financial protection against health shocks in the form of secondary care and other medical procedures involving hospitalisation. The integration with the eShram portal will allow the unorganised workers, who cannot even afford private health insurance, to avail quality health care services without such high costs.

Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM-SVANidhi)

The PM Street Vendor’s Atma-Nirbhar Nidhi Yojana or PM-SVANidhi helps the street vendors to resume trading after being affected by periods of disruption including the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Connecting this scheme to the eShram portal will enable the street vendors to easily access credit and other financial resources that will enable them support themselves.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

The MGNREGA also ensures employment to rural workers by providing one hundred days wages employment every in a financial year. It will also be easier for the rural workers to access the employment record and verify their right to the scheme through this link with the eShram portal.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G)

The PMAY-G scheme is meant to develop accommodation for the rural dwellers and more so, integrated rural families who are considered poor. The eShram portal assists the unorganised employees in availing the housing schemes given under this scheme to provide better living facility to millions of workers across the rural regions.

Ration Card Scheme

Ration Card Scheme guarantees food grains through PDS to those families which are economically backward & hence entitled for it. The workers are also advised to link their ration card with the eShram portal so that they may not suffer from delays in the procurement of their food entitlements.

Benefits for Unorganised Workers

• Incorporation of all these social security schemes has a revolutionary change in the lives of unorganised workers under eShram portal. Here’s how:
• Easier Access to Services
  • Due to the usage of a single and centralized eShram portal, the workers can now get a number of facilities and benefits within single application form without applying each of the scheme separately.
• Financial Security
  • A number of schemes such as PMJJBY, PMSBY, and PM SVANidhi are rather relevant for the access to necessary financial coverage in conditions of risks including illnesses, accident, or loss of income among unorganised workers.
• Improved Health and Well-being
  • Through integration of the eShram portal with the health insurance schemes like the AB-PMJAY, the unorganised sector employees can avail the healthcare benefits without a concern about higher expenses. This promotes health of the workers as well as their families so as to improve the performance of the firm.
• Employment and Housing Benefits
  • Programs like MGNREGA and PMAY-G ensure secure employment and housing facilities for the rural workers thereby enhancing their quality of existing standard living while ensuring them a secure income irrespective of any economic down turn.
• Food Security
  • The integration of Ration Card Scheme in the provisions for the workers and their families means that a steady supply of food grains shall be made available at subsidized rates. , thus eradicating the chances of food insecurity.

Challenges and Future Prospects

However, there are some concerns regarding the eShram portal; despite that, there was great progress made all round while at it. A lot of employees working in the rural or offshore areas may not have the internet connection or mobile devices to sign up with the platform. However there is also the challenge of creating awareness to the workers on the need to register in the portal. The government’s desire to improve the portal’s efficiency through the application of the mobile applications and the increase use of digital technology is encouraging. As the new platform of eShram portal advances, it seems to turn into an even more influential weapon to contribute towards the betterment of unorganised workers of India.

Conclusion

The launch of the eShram portal can be considered a major success in the continued groaning of support for India’s unorganised workers. The given portal is helping millions of unorganised workers protect their rights and enhance their quality of life by making it easier for them to access important social security schemes by making it easier for them to have access to the programmes they need. In this way, as the government further expands the platform and adds more facilities, the eShram portal will become even more important to unorganised works in India.

FAQS

Q1: What is the eShram portal?
Ans: The eShram portal is a government initiative developed by the Ministry of Labour & Employment to register and support unorganised workers in India. It provides a central platform for workers to access various social security schemes.

Q2: Who can register on the eShram portal?
Ans: Unorganised workers, including migrant labourers, street vendors, construction workers, domestic workers, agricultural labourers, and other informal sector employees, can register on the portal.

Q3: What are the benefits of registering on the eShram portal?
Ans: Registered workers can access social security schemes like life and accident insurance, health coverage, financial assistance, and food security programs, all from one platform.

Q4: How do I register on the eShram portal?
Ans: You can register on the eShram portal using your Aadhaar number and mobile phone. The process is simple and can be completed online.