| Introduction: Contextual Introduction Body: Challenges faced by migrant workers in accessing social security & role of e-Shram portal and the One-Stop Solution Conclusion: Way forward |
Migrant workers, a significant yet vulnerable segment of India’s unorganized workforce, often remain excluded from social protection systems. Despite legal frameworks and recommendations over decades, their access to social security has been inadequate.
Key Challenges
- Invisibility in Policy Frameworks: Migrant workers remained largely invisible in official databases until the e-Shram portal, despite provisions in the Interstate Migrant Workmen Act, 1979, and recommendations by the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (2007) and Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act (2008) for worker registration.
- Lack of Social Security Inclusion: While over 300 million workers are registered on the e-Shram portal, the majority have not been integrated into social security schemes.
- High Mobility and Distress Migration: Seasonal and circular migrants face unique challenges, including disenfranchisement, stigma, trafficking, and poor access to public services. Their high mobility complicates the delivery of social protection.
- Digital and Procedural Barriers: Many workers lack digital literacy or access to devices necessary for e-Shram registration and benefit tracking, particularly in rural areas.
- Administrative Challenges: States often have inconsistent implementation of welfare schemes, creating coordination issues that undermine the portability of benefits.
- Fragmented and Complex Welfare Landscape: Existing welfare schemes like MGNREGA, PM Shram Yogi Maandhan, and One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) often operate in silos, creating barriers to seamless access for migrant workers.
Role of the e-Shram Portal and One-Stop Solution
- e-Shram Portal: The e-Shram portal, launched in 2021, aims to create the world’s largest national database of unorganized workers. It has over 300 million workers registered, including a significant proportion of migrants. This facilitates better identification and targeting of workers for welfare schemes. However, it is primarily a “registration drive” with a limited focus on inclusion in social security.
- One-Stop Solution: The OSS, launched in 2024, seeks to bridge the gap between registration and access to social security by integrating various welfare schemes with the e-Shram portal. Its benefits include an integrated approach, portability of benefits & transparent and worker-friendly process. However, concerns include limited coverage of existing schemes, workers’ lack of awareness & inter-state coordination is weak.
Conclusion
The e-Shram portal and the OSS represent a significant step toward addressing the social security challenges faced by migrant workers. However, their success hinges on overcoming implementation hurdles, ensuring seamless inter-state coordination, and raising awareness among workers.
