Over 36 Lakh Jammu Kashmir Migrant Workers Registered on eShram Portal | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Labour and Employment has revealed that as of November 26, 2025, a total of 36,11,005 unorganised workers, including migrant labourers, from Jammu and Kashmir, have registered on the national eShram portal.

In neighbouring Ladakh, 35,068 workers have enrolled on the platform, highlighting a growing effort to bring the Union Territories’ workforce under formal social security and welfare mechanisms.

The eShram portal, launched on August 26, 2021, aims to create a comprehensive national database of unorganised workers, including migrant labourers, to facilitate the delivery of benefits under existing social security and welfare schemes. Registration on the portal is self-declared and Aadhaar-seeded, enabling workers to access entitlements and protections, including minimum wages, journey and displacement allowances, residential facilities, medical support, protective clothing, and grievance redressal mechanisms.

The registration drive is part of the broader reforms under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020, which subsumes the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979. The Code ensures decent working conditions, social security, and nationwide portability of entitlements for migrant and unorganised workers. It applies to every establishment employing ten or more interstate migrant workers in the preceding twelve months.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the registered workers encompass both local and migrant labourers engaged across construction, agriculture, handicrafts, and other sectors. With over 36 lakh registrations, the portal now provides the administration and central agencies a robust mechanism to monitor labour conditions, enforce minimum standards, and channel benefits effectively. Ladakh, though smaller in numbers, has also seen significant uptake, reflecting increased awareness and adoption among workers in remote regions.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment, along with the Central Industrial Relations Machinery (CIRM) and state authorities, continues to enforce provisions for workplaces employing inter-state migrants. Inspections and compliance monitoring are being strengthened to ensure safe and fair working conditions.

As the migration of workers remains dynamic, the eShram database offers an evolving picture of the workforce, helping governments, financial institutions, and welfare agencies target interventions efficiently. The registrations in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh underscore the growing adoption of digital social security mechanisms in the Union Territories.