e-SHRAM Portal: Centre launches national database for unorganised workers

The government has launched the e-SHRAM portal to maintain a database of workers in the unorganised sector today. The Union minister for labour and employment, Bhupender Yadav who was also present during the event, launched the portal. The e-SHRAM portal aims to register 38 crore unorganised workers such as construction labourers, migrant workforce, street vendors, and domestic workers, among others. With the launch of the portal, the workers from the unorganised sector can begin their registration from today. A national toll-free number 14434 has also been launched to assist and address the queries of the workers seeking registration on the portal.

For social security

After the portal went live, the Union minister Bhupender Yadav through virtual mode witnessed beneficiaries registering from unorganised sectors across the country.

Yadav said that the portal will also provide an initial accident cover insurance policy to the workers in unorganised sector. And during crisis situation like Covid times, this database will help the government to work for the benefit of these workers, he added.

The minister of state, Rameswar Teli said that the government hopes for all state governments and trade unions to participate in this programme and help more and more unorganised workers register on the portal.

e-SHRAM card containing a 12 digit unique number will be issued to the workers. The details of the workers will also be shared by state governments and departments. This card will be accepted in all the states of the country. NIC is the technical partner of the ministry for e-SHRAM portal

A worker can register using his/her Aadhaar card number and bank account details, apart from filling in other necessary details like date of birth, home town, mobile number, and social category.

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The secretary of labour ministry Apurva Chandra, during the launch event, said that more than 80% of the workers in our country are from the unorganized sector. But their registration could not happen till date.

The launch of the national database of unorganised workers(E-Shram portal) is a key step towards targeted delivery and will likely be a game-changer for the social security of millions of unorganised workers, domestic workers, construction workers, migrant workers, gig and platform workers, etc. It will ensure that welfare schemes reach the right beneficiary at the right time across the length and breadth of the country.

On August 24, the minister for labour and employment, Bhupender Yadav had unveiled the logo for the portal. He said, “Targeted identification of the unorganized workers was a much-needed step and the portal which will be the national database of our nation builders, our ‘Shram Yogis’, will help take welfare schemes to their doorstep, who are the builders of our nation.”