Over 28.99 crore unorganized workers register on eShram portal
Champ de blé en Côte d'Or, Bourgogne, France.
As of August 3, 2023, over 28.99 crore unorganized workers have registered on the e-Shram portal. Notably, the portal does not currently capture data specifically for gig workers. A State/UT-wise breakdown of the registered unorganized workers is provided in the annex. The primary purpose of the eShram portal is to register and support unorganized workers by assigning them a Universal Account Number (UAN). This portal collects various details from workers including their name, permanent and current addresses, occupation, educational qualifications, and skill type. Registration is available through multiple modes, including self-registration via the eShram portal and the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) mobile app. Assisted mode registration is facilitated through Common Service Centres (CSC) and State Seva Kendras (SSKs), with over 4 lakh CSC centers nationwide offering this service. State Seva Kendras are also part of this initiative and play a role in raising awareness through worker mobilization camps.
Furthermore, the eShram portal has been integrated with the National Career Service (NCS) Portal. This allows unorganized workers, including gig workers, to utilize their Universal Account Number (UAN) for registration on the NCS platform and to search for suitable job opportunities. A seamless registration option/link has been provided on the eShram portal to facilitate this connection. A significant development in this context is the inclusion of the definition of ‘gig worker’ or ‘platform worker’ in the Code on Social Security, 2020. This Code outlines provisions for the establishment of a helpline, facilitation center, and more by the appropriate government to assist gig and platform workers. The aim is to help them obtain registration and enroll in social security schemes, ensuring their well-being.
The government has implemented several measures to safeguard the privacy of registered worker data on the eShram portal. These measures include consent-based secure data sharing, data protection during transmission and storage (in-transit and at-rest), firewall protection, API management, cloud portal security, database security, the Aadhaar Data Vault, VPN tunnels, and encryption of data using Digital Rights Management (DRM) software.
