The Ministry of Labour and Employment has renewed its push to create a comprehensive national database of migrant workers, aiming to ensure targeted delivery of social security benefits, improve portability of entitlements, and provide policymakers with real-time data on one of India’s most vulnerable workforce segments.
This initiative has gained urgency in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which starkly exposed the precarious conditions of migrant labourers who lacked access to welfare schemes due to the absence of reliable data.
Background: The Migrant Worker Challenge
India has an estimated 140–150 million internal migrant workers, who contribute significantly to the construction, manufacturing, textiles, transport, hospitality, and domestic work sectors. Yet, they remain:
- Invisible in official statistics due to inter-state mobility and informal employment contracts.
- Excluded from welfare schemes, including Public Distribution System (PDS), health insurance, and social security, since benefits are tied to domicile.
- Vulnerable to exploitation, wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and a lack of grievance redressal.
The Supreme Court of India (2021) directed the government to establish a national database for unorganised workers (NDUW) under the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008, leading to the launch of the e-Shram portal.
The Government’s Current Push
1. Integration with e-Shram Portal:
Migrant workers are being encouraged to register on the e-Shram database, which already has over 29 crore workers enrolled as of mid-2025.
2. Portability of Benefits:
The database will enable “One Nation, One Ration Card” (ONORC) and portability of ESI/EPF benefits across states, ensuring workers do not lose entitlements when they migrate.
3. Skill Mapping:
The portal is expected to include skill profiles of workers, aiding both employment opportunities and targeted skilling initiatives.
4. State Collaboration:
The Labour Ministry is coordinating with state governments to ensure interoperability of state labour records with the central database.
5. Welfare Targeting:
The database will help channelise government welfare schemes, including accident insurance, housing, and healthcare, to the right beneficiaries.
Legal and Policy Implications
- Labour Codes: The initiative aligns with the Code on Social Security, 2020, which emphasises social protection for unorganised and migrant workers.
- Right to Welfare: Access to social security is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy (Articles 38, 39, 41), and this database helps operationalise these constitutional mandates.
- Employer Accountability: Registered employers may eventually be required to declare migrant workers engaged through contractors, strengthening compliance with the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 (until fully subsumed by labour codes).
Benefits of the National Database
1. For Workers:
- Easier access to welfare benefits across states.
- Better job opportunities through skill-matching.
- Recognition and visibility in official systems.
2. For Employers:
- Reliable pool of skilled and unskilled workers.
- Streamlined compliance reporting.
3. For Government:
- Evidence-based policymaking.
- Efficient allocation of welfare budgets.
- Reduced duplication and leakages in schemes.
Challenges and Criticisms
- Digital Divide: Many migrant workers lack smartphones, digital literacy, or Aadhaar linkage, making registration difficult.
- Trust Deficit: Workers fear misuse of personal data, surveillance, or exclusion due to errors.
- Coordination Across States: Migrant labour is highly mobile, requiring seamless state-level cooperation.
- Implementation Gaps: Past schemes for unorganised workers often failed due to bureaucratic inefficiency and lack of awareness.
The Road Ahead
The Labour Ministry plans mass awareness campaigns, facilitation centres at labour chowks, and partnerships with NGOs to drive registrations. If implemented well, the database can become a game-changer for India’s labour governance, transforming how welfare and rights are extended to migrant workers
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