The e-Shram Portal

Context: The e-Shram Portal completed five years of operation on August 26, 2026, marking a major milestone in building India’s social security architecture for the informal economy.

About The e-Shram Portal:

What It Is?

• The e-Shram Portal is India’s first comprehensive, Aadhaar-authenticated National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW). It assigns every registered worker a portable 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN) and serves as a unified digital platform connecting the informal workforce to social security benefits, job portals, skilling opportunities, and pension plans.

Launch Date: August 26, 2021.

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), Government of India.

Aim: To build a centralized, verifiable national registry of the unorganised workforce, facilitate the convergence and portability of multi-ministerial welfare schemes, and ensure seamless delivery of social security benefits—especially during economic disruptions and national emergencies.

Key Features of the e-Shram Portal:

• Portable 12-Digit UAN & Broad Inclusivity: Issues a unique Universal Account Number (UAN) card to workers aged 16 and above who are not income-tax payers or enrolled in EPFO/ESIC—spanning agricultural laborers, domestic help, construction workers, street vendors, and gig/platform workers.
• Unified One-Stop Solution Convergence: Brings together 15 central social security and welfare schemes onto a single window, including PMJJBY, PMSBY, PM-SYM, One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), NSAP, and PMAY-G.
• Integrated Social Insurance & Pension Enrollment: Enables direct enrollment into:
  • PMSBY: Up to ₹2 lakh for accidental death or permanent disability.
  • PMJJBY: ₹2 lakh life insurance cover.
  • PM-SYM: Assured monthly pension of ₹3,000 upon reaching 60 years of age.
• Digital Public Infrastructure & Interoperability: Integrates directly with the National Career Service (NCS) for job linkages, the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) for apprenticeships, and the AI-powered Bhashini platform for native-language access across 22 scheduled languages.
• Specialized Tracking for Migrant & Gig Workers: Captures family migration data to enable welfare portability across states, facilitates worker onboarding with state BOCW Boards.

Significance:

• Provides digital visibility to unorganised workers, enabling targeted and leak-proof delivery of welfare benefits.
• Creates a dynamic worker registry supporting interstate portability of benefits and targeted assistance during emergencies.