e-Shram at 5 years: 31.89 crore unorganised workers registered

The e-Shram portal: what happened?

Most Indian workers, from farm labourers to domestic helpers and delivery riders, have no formal employer and no payslip. The government could not reach them because it did not know who they were. e-Shram was built to count them, give them an ID, and bring welfare schemes to them in one place.

• The portal has 31.89 crore registrations as on 18 August 2026.
• Women are 54.28 per cent and men 45.72 per cent of registered workers.
• 55.21 per cent are aged 18 to 40 years; 20.53 per cent are above 50.
• Top states: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Most registrations came through Common Service Centres, followed by self-registration.

What is e-Shram?

• Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), it created the first Aadhaar-authenticated National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW).
• Each registered worker gets a unique 12-digit UAN.
• An “unorganised worker” includes home-based, self-employed and wage workers in the unorganised sector, and organised-sector workers who are not members of ESIC, EPFO or a government scheme.

Who can register and how?

• Any unorganised worker aged 16 years or above who is not an income tax payer or a member of EPFO or ESIC.
• Registration is free and one-time, on the portal or at a Common Service Centre or State Seva Kendra.
• Only Aadhaar (for eKYC) and a mobile number are needed.

What does the One-Stop Solution offer?

• Launched on 21 October 2024, in line with the Union Budget 2024–25 idea of one digital platform for labour services.
• Brings 15 social security and welfare schemes together, including PM-SYM, PMSBY, PMJJBY, NSAP, ONORC and PMAY-G.
• Links to the National Career Service for jobs, Skill India Digital Hub for skilling and myScheme for scheme discovery.
• Multilingual in 22 languages through Bhashini since 2025.
• Shares construction workers’ data with States and UTs for registration with BOCW Boards.

Which constitutional provisions back social security for workers?

• Article 41: the State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity, make effective provision for securing the right to work and public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement.
• List III (Concurrent List), Entry 23: social security and social insurance; employment and unemployment.

What do the numbers show?

What benefits can a registered worker reach?

Why does the e-Shram portal matter?

What are the challenges in the e-Shram portal?

• Registration is not the same as getting benefits; workers must still enrol in each scheme.
• Only about 11.5 lakh platform workers have registered so far.
• Most registrations depend on CSCs, so self-registration needs a push.
• Keeping data current as workers change jobs and places is hard.

What should be done next on the e-Shram portal?

• Turn registration into actual enrolment in insurance and pension schemes.
• Register more gig and platform workers.
• Use the database for quick help during emergencies, one of its stated goals.
• Keep improving multilingual and mobile access.

What can Prelims ask on the e-Shram portal?

• e-Shram launched 26 August 2021; developed by NIC; Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• UAN: 12-digit; eligibility age 16 and above; not EPFO/ESIC member or income tax payer.
• PM-SYM: ₹3,000 monthly pension at 60.
• Social security: Entry 23, List III.

How to write about the e-Shram portal in Mains

Practice question (15 marks, 250 words): e-Shram has registered over 31 crore unorganised workers. How far has it improved social security for them, and what remains to be done?

• Intro: launched 2021; 31.89 crore registrations.
• Design: NDUW, UAN, One-Stop Solution with 15 schemes.
• Gains: portability, women majority, data for policy.
• Gaps: registration vs benefits, gig workers, CSC dependence.
• Conclusion: Art 41 and List III Entry 23.

What should UPPCS aspirants note?

• Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest e-Shram registrations among states, which matters for migrant and construction worker welfare in UP.