The e-shram card is designed to help workers in the unorganized sector receive government benefits, such as pensions and financial aid.
Simply put, e-Shram is a ‘yojana’ or scheme of the Indian government to provide social security to workers in the unorganized sector. The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the e-shram portal in August 2021 to create a natural database of unorganized workers like migrant workers, gig and platform laborers, and construction workers.
Any person working in the unorganized sector should apply for a Shramik or e-Shram card through the concerned portal. With the e-Shram card, laborers and workers in the unorganized sector can reap multiple benefits, such as a pension after 60 years, insurance, financial aid in case of incapacity, and so forth. According to the latest statistics, around 28,602,000 e-Shram cards were issued by the labor ministry.
Benefits of Obtaining an e-Shram Card
E-shram Yojana works will benefit from PM-SYM and the National Pension Scheme for Traders. Some of the tangible benefits include:
- A pension of INR 3000 after reaching 60 years of age
- Death insurance of INR 2 lakhs and a financial aid of INR 1 lakh in case of partial handicap
- Should a beneficiary with an e-Shram card die in a work-related accident, their spouse will be eligible for benefits.
Who is eligible for an e-Shram Card?
- Any person working in the unorganized sector (which includes commercial units with less than ten workers and is not covered under the ESIC and EPFO)
- The worker should be aged between 16 and 59 years.
- Workers must have a valid mobile number linked with their Aadhar card.
E-Shram Card Checklist of Documents
The e-Shram card checklist for documents includes:
- Aadhar Card
- Mobile number linked with Aadhar card
- Bank account
How do I apply for an e-Shram Card?
You can apply for an e-shram card through the Common Service Center (CSC) or the e-shram portal. The steps include:
So, there it was: a crisp overview of the e-Shram card checklist and application process.
Summary: The e-Shram card is part of the Indian government’s efforts to create a database of unorganized workers and laborers and provide them with benefits.