e-Shram may open door to govt benefits for workers

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central government will use the unorganised workers database — e-Shram portal — to provide the benefits of various government programmes to the nearly 300 million workers over the next five years, if it is voted to power for the third consecutive term in the upcoming general elections.

"We have registered unorganised workers on the e-Shram platform.

"We will reach out to the e-Shram registered ‘shramik bandhu’ and help them avail the benefits of various government programmes that they are eligible for,” the manifesto of the party read.

The manifesto mentions that the government will reach out to migrant workers registered on the e-Shram portal and empower them to avail benefits of various programmes.

Registrations of gig workers onto the portal with the help of gig platforms will also be done.

The National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) or e-Shram portal was launched by the labour ministry in August 2021 to create a database of an estimated 380 million unorganised workers, which included agricultural workers, domestic workers, construction workers, gig and platform workers etc.

Till March 2024, close to 295 million workers were registered.

Further, the government will bring in a new scheme for truck drivers under which modern facilities will be developed along the national highways.

Drivers of autorickshaws, taxis, trucks, and other vehicles will be registered on the e-Shram portal, thereby securing their inclusion in insurance and other welfare programmes.

Meanwhile, the manifesto also talks about the review of National Floor Wages from time to time.

On the job creation front, the BJP manifesto speaks of expanding the startup ecosystem to Tier-II and Tier-III cities and transforming India into a global centre for high-quality services including tourism to generate high-value and diverse employment opportunities nationwide.

Further, it speaks of continuing the investment in infrastructure and working on policies like Make in India and production linked incentive for the manufacturing sector to boost job creation.

“We will make our youth future-ready by adopting a dynamic learning curriculum at school level as mandated by NEP and by incorporating industry-aligned curriculum and skill development in emerging technologies in higher education,” the manifesto reads.

On transparency in recruitment for government posts, the manifesto speaks of filling the government vacancies in a time-bound and transparent manner, as well as extending the capacity of the central government to assist states that request support in conducting recruitment examinations.

“We have already enacted a law to stop misconduct in recruitment exams across the country.

"We will strictly implement this law to ensure strict punishment to those playing with the future of our youth,” the manifesto reads.

To increase the participation of women in the workforce, the BJP manifesto speaks of developing infrastructure such as working women’s hostels, crèches etc, with a specific focus on locations near industrial and commercial centres to facilitate increased participation of women in the workforce.