A little over 281 million unorganised sector workers have got themselves registered on e-sharm portal since the process started on August 26 last year. The Aadhar-seeded centralised database is being created primarily to deliver all future social security benefits of the Centre and the states meant for such set of workers.

Prime Minister Narednra Modi, while inaugurating a national conference of labour ministers of states and union territories on Thursday, said that to increase employment opportunities, e-Shram portal is being integrated with national career service, Aseem Portal and Udyam Portal.

While the labour ministry hopes to bring all estimated 380 million of them on board by March 2023, the Centre has asked the states/ union territories (UTs) which lagging behind in term of registration to increase the pace of registration and bringing the remaining 26-27% on board at the earliest.

According to the data compiled by the union ministry of labour and employment, as many as 18 states and UTs have registered more than half of the target workers in their respective states. Prominent states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are yet to reach 40% of their respective targets.

Workers engaged in agriculture, domestic & household and construction sectors are the among the top three contributing sectors in the registration process. State-wise, it is Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.

A senior labour ministry official had earlier said that the process of registration will go on even after registering all 380 million of them since anyone who becomes more than 16 years old are eligible to get themselves register on the portal. Labour ministry is the nodal ministry for planning, policy formulation and implementation of the project at the national level.

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All workers, aged between 16-59 years, and not members of existing social sector schemes run by ESIC, EPFO or NPS are eligible to register in the e-Shram portal.

After registering, those within 18-59 years bracket get an accidental insurance cover of Rs two lakh under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) for the first year at no cost. From the second year, she has to pay an annual premium of Rs 12 to remain continuously covered under the insurance scheme.

After registration on eShram portal, a Universal Account Number (UAN), an identity to each unorganised worker is issued.

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The database will have details of name, occupation, address, educational qualification, skill types and family details etc. for optimum realisation of their employability and extend the benefits of the social security schemes to them. The portal also provides portability of the benefits to the migrant and construction workers.

More than 400 occupations are being incorporated and registered under this portal. Gig and platform workers are also eligible to enrol themselves in the portal. Once the portal is ready, it will have the interoperability and connection of database of benefits of other ministries also.