- Why in news
- On 2 February 2026, the Labour Ministry told the Lok Sabha that over 31.48 crore unorganised workers had registered on the e-Shram portal as of 26 January 2026, and that 14 schemes are now linked to it.
- What it is
- e-Shram is a portal of the Ministry of Labour and Employment that builds the National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW). Workers register on self-declaration and get an e-Shram card with a Universal Account Number (UAN). It is meant to help the government reach unorganised workers with social security schemes.
- Launch
- The Labour Ministry launched the e-Shram portal on 26 August 2021 to create the National Database of Unorganised Workers.
- Registration basis
- Workers are registered on self-declaration and given a Universal Account Number (UAN).
- Coverage
- Over 31.48 crore unorganised workers were registered as of 26 January 2026.
- Scheme links
- Fourteen schemes of Central Ministries are integrated, including PM-KISAN, MGNREGS, AB-PMJAY, PMSBY, PMJJBY and ONORC. Linkages also exist with NCS, SIDH and PM-SYM (pension).
Don’t confuse with e-Shram vs PM-SYM: e-Shram is a registration database and access portal. PM-SYM (Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan) is a separate pension scheme for unorganised workers, only linked to e-Shram.
Don’t confuse with UAN of e-Shram vs EPFO UAN: The e-Shram UAN identifies unorganised workers on the NDUW. The EPFO UAN is for organised-sector provident fund members. They are separate.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Gives a single national database of unorganised workers, which helps target benefits and plan policy.
- One portal for many schemes cuts duplication and helps portability for migrant workers.
Problems
- Self-declaration risks wrong or duplicate entries and needs verification.
- Low digital literacy and patchy connectivity limit access; registration does not by itself ensure benefits.
Way forward
- Seed the data with Aadhaar and state records for verification, and keep expanding assisted registration.
- Track actual benefits delivered, not just registrations.
Put in your answer
e-Shram registrations: Over 31.48 crore workers registered as of 26 January 2026; use as data in answers on social security for the unorganised sector.
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: A lasting portal with the UAN, a One-Stop-Solution and 14 integrated schemes. Facts are mostly progress counts.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.