What happened
The Ministry of Labour and Employment informed Lok Sabha that the e-Shram portal has crossed a large registration base of unorganised workers and has been expanded into a wider access platform for social security. The portal was launched on 26 August 2021 to build a National Database of Unorganised Workers, including migrant workers, gig workers, and platform workers.
The Ministry said that e-Shram provides a Universal Account Number on a self-declaration basis. The government has also launched State and Union Territory microsites and a one-stop solution that links e-Shram with welfare and social security schemes.
Background and earlier position
India’s informal workforce has long faced fragmented access to welfare because identification, portability, and scheme awareness have been weak. A single database for unorganised workers was meant to improve targeting and make social protection easier to access across locations and schemes.
What changed now
Related current affairs
- Policy sidebar / key points box (within the EPFO 3.0 gig-worker pension explainer)
- Centre softens stance on FCRA Bill; following appeals, Lok Sabha refers Bill to Joint Parliamentary Committee
- Lok Sabha clears Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 amid opposition protests
- Centre softens stance on FCRA Bill following several appeals
- 31-member parliamentary panel to review FCRA Bill
- Under-recovery on domestic LPG narrows to ₹188/cylinder