The eShram-One Stop Solution platform, launched by the Government of India, is an important step towards providing comprehensive social security and welfare support to unorganised sector workers. Here’s a breakdown of its key aspects and implications:

Key Features and Objectives

1.     Purpose of eShram Portal:

o    Launched in 2021, the eShram portal aims to create a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) to register unorganised sector workers, including construction workers, migrant laborers, street vendors, and domestic workers.

o    Registered workers receive an e-Shram card with a unique 12-digit identification number, providing access to multiple social security schemes.

2.     Single Window Platform:

o    The eShram platform integrates 12 welfare schemes under a single window, enabling workers to access various social security benefits without the hassle of multiple registrations.

o    This approach is intended to improve access, streamline services, and ensure inclusivity for workers in the unorganised sector.

3.     Social Security and Welfare Benefits:

o    Registered workers are eligible for accident insurance coverage, offering Rs 2 lakh for death or permanent disability and Rs 1 lakh for partial disability.

o    Key welfare schemes linked to the portal include PM-SYM, Atal Pension Yojana, Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, PMAY-Gramin, and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), among others.

o    These schemes cover essential needs like pension, insurance, health, skill development, housing, and food security.

4.     Target Audience:

o    The eShram platform is specifically designed for unorganised workers who often lack formal employment benefits and face challenges in accessing welfare schemes due to lack of documentation, awareness, and complicated application processes.

Welfare Schemes Integrated Under eShram

Some of the key schemes included are:

• Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Yojana (PM-SYM): Provides pension benefits to workers.
• Ayushman Bharat – PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): Offers health insurance coverage.
• Atal Pension Yojana: Ensures pension benefits for workers in the informal sector.
• Public Distribution System (PDS): Supports food security.
• Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G): Provides housing assistance to rural households.
• Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers: Aids in rehabilitation and self-employment opportunities for manual scavengers.

Significance of the Initiative

1.     Social Inclusion:

o    The eShram portal aims to provide formal recognition to unorganised workers, who constitute a significant portion of India’s workforce. By creating a centralised database, it brings these workers into the social security net, ensuring that they receive necessary benefits and protections.

2.     Ease of Access:

o    A single-window platform simplifies access to welfare schemes, reducing bureaucratic red tape and eliminating the need for workers to navigate multiple registration processes.

3.     Enhanced Policy Planning:

o    The NDUW database can serve as a vital resource for the government in policy-making and targeted interventions. It enables better understanding of the unorganised sector’s demographics, needs, and challenges.

4.     Financial and Health Security:

o    With access to pension, health insurance, and accident coverage, workers in the informal sector can achieve financial stability and health security, which are often lacking in unorganised employment.

Conclusion

The eShram-One Stop Solution is a transformative initiative aimed at improving the lives of unorganised sector workers by providing integrated access to essential social security benefits. By centralising welfare schemes and creating a robust database, the government not only enhances social inclusion but also strengthens the economic resilience of vulnerable communities. The platform’s success will depend on continuous outreach, awareness programs, and simplifying enrollment processes for widespread adoption.

MCQs for Practice

Q1. With reference to the eShram portal, consider the following statements:

1.     The eShram portal was launched to create a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW).

2.     Workers registered on the eShram portal are eligible for accident insurance coverage.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 only
• (b) 2 only
• (c) Both 1 and 2
• (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation: The eShram portal was launched to create a database of unorganised workers and provides accident insurance coverage for registered workers.

Q2. Which of the following welfare schemes is/are linked with the eShram platform?

1.     Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Yojana (PM-SYM)

2.     Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)

3.     Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

• (a) 1 only
• (b) 1 and 2 only
• (c) 2 and 3 only
• (d) 1, 2, and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2, and 3
Explanation: All these schemes are integrated with the eShram platform, providing various benefits such as pension, health insurance, and financial security.

Q3. Which ministry is responsible for the implementation of the eShram portal?

• (a) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
• (b) Ministry of Rural Development
• (c) Ministry of Labour and Employment
• (d) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

Answer: (c) Ministry of Labour and Employment
Explanation: The eShram portal is managed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, which oversees the welfare of unorganised workers.

Q4. Which of the following benefits are provided under the eShram portal for registered unorganised workers?

1.     Accident insurance of Rs 2 lakh for death or permanent disability

2.     Access to skill development programs

3.     Subsidies for housing under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

• (a) 1 and 2 only
• (b) 2 and 3 only
• (c) 1, 2, and 3
• (d) 1 only

Answer: (c) 1, 2, and 3
Explanation: Registered workers on the eShram portal are eligible for accident insurance, skill development programs, and housing subsidies under PMAY-G.

Q5. Consider the following statements about the National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW):

1.     It aims to register all unorganised workers, including construction workers, migrant laborers, street vendors, and domestic workers.

2.     Workers registered under NDUW receive a unique 12-digit eShram card.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 only
• (b) 2 only
• (c) Both 1 and 2
• (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation: The NDUW initiative under the eShram portal aims to register unorganised workers and provides them with a unique 12-digit eShram card.