e-Shram Microsite and Occupational Shortage Index

01.02.2025

e-Shram Microsite and Occupational Shortage Index

Why in the news?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Recently, the Union Minister for Labour & Employment launched two significant initiatives – State and Union Territory Microsites under the e-Shram initiative and the Occupational Shortage Index (OSI).

About e-Shram Microsite:

• It is a transformative initiative aimed at ensuring that unorganised workers have seamless access to both State and Central government welfare programs.

Features of the initiative:

• These microsites are state-specific digital platforms seamlessly integrated with the national e-Shram database.
• It will facilitate two-way integration between State portals and the eShram portals and will facilitate simplified registration of unorganised workers.
• This will provide a one-stop solution for seamless access to both Central and State welfare programs for unorganised workers, employment opportunities, skilling programmes, etc.
• For States/UTs, the microsites provide a ready-to-use digital infrastructure, reducing the need for costly and time-consuming development processes. With real-time analytic dashboards, they facilitate better policy decision-making and allow States to include tools specific to their labour market requirements.
• It offers a seamless registration process and access to a wide range of social security benefits.
• The platform ensures multilingual accessibility, enabling workers from different regions to access information and services in their preferred language.
• Through two-way integration with the e-Shram database, workers receive real-time updates on welfare schemes and employment opportunities.
• Significance: It will enhance transparency and efficiency in welfare service delivery.

About Occupational Shortage Index (OSI):

• It provides data-driven insights into occupations facing shortages, helping align job seekers' skills with industry demands.
• It will support policymakers, training institutions, and businesses in bridging skill gaps in high-demand sectors.
• The index is designed to enable more effective decision-making in workforce planning and skill development initiatives, optimizing job matching and guiding State governments and employers in creating targeted skill development programs.

                                                              Source: PIB

Consider the following statements regarding e-Shram microsite:

1. It is a state-specific digital platforms seamlessly integrated with the national e-Shram database.

2. It is launched by the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A.1 only

B.2 only

C.Both 1 and 2

D.Neither 1 nor 2

Answer C