CoVid-19 Pandemic affected every section of society but the section which was hit the most was the migrant workers. With worksite shutdown due to the pandemic, our workmen, living outside their home states had to deal with the loss of income, food shortages, no transport and uncertainty about their future. In response, Government of India took various measures to help them, setting up relief camps to provide food and shelter[1], arranging buses and trains such as Shramik Specials to transport labours, tourists, pilgrims, students and others, who were leaving for their native places. The 'One Nation, One Ration Card' system allowed migrant workers to retrieve food grains for free anywhere across the country. Cash transfers were made under the Government’s spending plan for poor and daily wages under MGNREGA were increased, ensuring social security.

This sudden mass movement of migrant labours threw spotlight on the lack of data on the vast number of labours living outside their home states, despite the existence of Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act. A central registry of migrants would enable the Government to develop different mechanism to monitor and provide direct benefits to migrant workers in the unorganized sector who were affected during the pandemic. The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS 2018-19) says that 90% of workers in India were in the informal sector, and a large number of them are migrants who keep moving in search of work and such workforce also keeps shifting from one sector to another depending upon the opportunities that come their way. Further, the data on migration from the 2011 Census was insufficient to track and monitor these forever transient migrant workers and was unable to aid the state machinery in its relief efforts. Though required by the law (Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008) no detailed records were maintained. The lack of information on the number of unorganised workers affected their ability to access social welfare and employment benefits, given to them by government, both during and pre-lockdown conditions.[i] In order to ensure the welfare of the people from unorganised sector, the Ministry of Labour & Employment under the dynamic leadership of PM Narendra Modi launched the eSHRAM portal to document India’s unorganized workforce. The portal covers migrant workers, construction workers, street vendors, domestic workers, milkmen, truck drivers, and similar other workers, for the optimum realization of their employability and extends the benefits of social security schemes to them. Under the portal, there are 30 broad sector categories activities and 190 broad families of occupations and around 400 occupations. Occupation is based on the National Classification of Occupation 2015.[ii]The portal offers both an online route and a partially-offline registration route, in which the registration can be done by self or at the nearest CSCs or SSKs. The overwhelming portion of registrations has been facilitated by CSCs, over 15Cr workers have registered through Suvidha Kendras, interestingly more than 35% of total workers have self-registered on the portal.[iii]

Under this initiative, the worker will be issued a Shramik card with a unique Universal Account Number (UAN). After registration, the unorganised workers will need not to register separately for Govt’s Social Security Schemes. The eShram card seeded with Aadhar will be used to deliver all the welfare schemes of the Central and State Governments for unorganised workers. The benefits that an eShram cardholder will get is an accidental cover of 2 Lacs under the PMSBY and 1 lakh for suffering partial disability including the benefits of welfare schemes of the central and state government. Since its launch, the eShram portal has registered 24.93Cr workers–65%--of the expected 38Cr. More than half of all the total registration on the portal are women, which is an achievement in itself, as more of the women from different segments and working in the unorganised sector will now be able to avail the benefits of welfare schemes on their own. The deep penetration of this database in every state is a cumulative effect of other schemes and programs, lately run by the Modi Government. CSCs infrastructure and other service providers have enabled this rate of registrations.

Earlier many migrant workers couldn’t register themselves for the schemes, as the process relied on physical documents and migrants always faced the risk of having documents getting stolen or lost in transit, and the frayed photocopies which remained didn't get accepted. Now, the eShram database is Aadhar seeded, workers can register on the eSHRAM portal through their Aadhar and bank account details, along with some basic details. As per the data on eShram portal, the Uttar Pradesh has seen the highest number of registrations. The state has contributed almost 8 crore registration followed by Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh. This drive is also gaining momentum in small states and UTs such as Manipur, Goa, Meghalaya and Chandigarh. Further, the agriculture sector contributed to highest registration with 12.6 crores followed by Domestic and Household sector with 2.6 crores, Construction with 2.3 crores, Apparel with 1.6 crores and miscellaneous with 1 crore.[iv]

Now the workers can easily visit their nearest Seva Kendras and register themselves on the portal and take advantage of this exercise and access the benefits of the various social security schemes through this Card anywhere anytime. Some states have already started giving benefits of welfare schemes, like Uttar Pradesh, where workers have received the first installment of UP Shramik Bharan Poshan Yojana.[v]

Under the visionary leadership of PM Modi, the nation has achieved yet another milestone where for the first time the eShram portal will not just create a centralised comprehensive database of our unorganised workers but will help take the social security schemes to the doorsteps of our Shram Yogis, who are the nation builders of India. Thereby, reaffirming the faith of millions of migrant workers to the committed leadership of Modi ji who has always emphasised on the last mile delivery of services and committed to the principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas”.