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e-Shram to help settle workers’ accident claims

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e-Shram to help settle workers’ accident claims

  • The Union Labour and Employment Ministry is working on a mechanism to process accident insurance claims by unorganised workers registered on the e-Shram portal, which has seen over 27 crore registrations so far.
  • The portal was launched six months ago with the aim of creating a national database of unorganised workers and to facilitate social security schemes for them.

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana

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  • e-Shram portal is being discussed to be linked with the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, the Centre’s existing accident insurance scheme.
  • The scheme would allow the workers to get the direct benefit transfer (DBT) through the e-Shram unique ID number. Unique IDs on the e-Shram portal carried the same series from the Employees Provident Fund Organisation’s universal account number (UAN).
  • At the time the portal was launched in August 2021, the Ministry had estimated that there were 38 crore unorganised sector workers in the country.

About e-shram portal

  • Launch:
    • The portal was launched on August 26, 2021.
  • Aim:

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  • Ministry:
    • Ministry of Labour & Employment
  • e-Shram Card:
    • Workers will be provided with an e-SHRAM card which will have a 12 digit unique number.
    • The details of workers will also be shared by the state government and departments.
  • Single window:
    • This will be a single-point reference to help authorities reach out to and track workers in the informal sector, and offer welfare in times of crisis.
  • Beneficiaries:
    • The database will include construction workers, migrant workers, gig and platform workers, street vendors, domestic workers, agriculture workers, migrant workers and similar other sub-groups of unorganised workers.
  • Self enrolment:
    • It will be available in public for open access where workers can self-enrol through Aadhaar and mobile numbers.

Significance

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Challenges

  • Lack of Social security benefits:
    • Formal workers work in the public and private organised sectors and have adequate social security benefits.
    • But informal sector workers lack these benefits, making them very vulnerable to economic and political shocks.
  • Susceptibility to economic shocks:
    • The casual workers among the informal workers are most susceptible to economic shocks as most of them do unskilled, low-paid occupational jobs.
    • A significantly high proportion of these workers belong to the marginalised groups and are migrant labourers.
    • The problems in the informal sector can be costly as it can lead to job and wage losses, higher inflation and even risk the livelihood of migrant workers.
  • Structural disadvantage:
    • The structural disadvantage in terms of literacy and skills make them more prone to exploitation.
    • The discrimination in the urban informal labour market against these people leaves them with no choice but to accept the offered wage.
  • Government failure:
    • There is a government failure to reduce wage inequality and ensure a bare minimum wage to a large chunk of the urban informal workers during normal times.
    • Therefore, the majority of urban informal workers remain highly vulnerable and live in precarious conditions even during normal times.
    • The existing government programmes cannot provide gainful employment opportunities to the migrants at their native places.
  • Implications of Lockdown:
    • Informal sector workers suffered far more from the national lockdown in 2020 than their formal sector counterparts.
    • With an inadequate safety net, there were painful accounts of displaced informal workers trying to get back to their rural homes.

Exam Track

Prelims Takeaway

  • State of unorganised sector in India
  • E-shram portal
  • Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana

Mains Track

Q. Although e-Shram is a important to provide the unorganised workers much-needed exposure, it is logged with impediments which can hinder the welfare measures. Analyse.

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