Integration of social security schemes with e-Shram

Source: The post Integration of social security schemes with e-Shram has been created, based on the article “ORGANISING THE UNORGANISED” published in “Business Standard” on 28th November 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 – Governance – Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

Context: The article discusses the integration of social security schemes with India’s e-Shram portal. This aims to provide unorganised workers seamless access to welfare benefits. Challenges include low worker registration, lack of incentives, and difficulties in integrating state schemes.

For detailed information on eShram – One Stop Solution read this article here

What is the e-Shram Portal?

1. The e-Shram portal is a comprehensive database for India’s unorganised workers launched in August 2021.
2. It registers details like name, occupation, and skills of workers. As of now, 303 million workers across 400 occupations are registered.
3. There are about 500 million unorganised workers in India. As of now, 303 million have already been registered on the portal in over 400 different occupations classified under 30 broad occupation sectors.
4. Top categories include: Agricultural workers: 158.6 million, Domestic workers: 28.7 million, Construction workers: 27.3 million, Apparel workers: 19.7 million
5. Uttar Pradesh leads with 83.7 million registrations, followed by Bihar (29.5 million), West Bengal (26.4 million), and Madhya Pradesh (18.34 million).

What Does Integration Entail?

1. The e-Shram portal integrates data from 12 central welfare schemes, including One Nation One Ration Card, MGNREGA, and PMAY-Gramin.
2. It aims to provide seamless access to health, insurance, pension, housing, and other benefits.
3. State schemes are also being onboarded to ensure broader coverage.
4. Integration with the Gati Shakti portal is planned to reduce skill gaps and help agencies plan workforce needs effectively.
5. It creates a unified database for workers and employers. Workers gain easier access to various social security benefits, while employers find it simpler to comply with legal requirements. The portal is also Aadhaar-seeded to prevent duplicate entries.

What are the challenges faced?

1. Lack of Incentives: Workers hesitate to register due to no immediate benefits.
2. State Scheme Integration: Political and financial barriers delay inclusion of state-run welfare schemes.
3. Technological Limitations: The portal requires upgrades to seamlessly manage existing and new schemes.
4. Gig Worker Coverage: Issues like data confidentiality and funding complicate inclusion of gig workers.
5. Previous Failures: Similar initiatives, like the 2008 Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, were abandoned mid-way.

Question for practice:

Discuss the integration of social security schemes with the e-Shram portal and the challenges faced in its implementation.