UPSC Exam Preparation: Topic of the Day – Workers Identification Number (UWIN)
Section 10 of the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008 provides that every unorganized worker shall be eligible for registration subject to the fulfillment of the conditions that he or she shall have completed fourteen years of age; and a self-declaration by him or her confirming that he or she is an unorganized worker. The application for registration is to be made to the District Administration. The Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008 had first mandated that every worker be registered and issued a smart ID card.
The Union Ministry of Labour has now called for tenders to design, develop and run the new UWIN — Unorganised Workers Identification Number.
What was the need?
- There is no centralized national database of unorganized workers in India.
- Accordingly, it has been decided to create a national platform for unorganized workers.
- A proposal was made to issue a Unique ID UWIN and allotment of an Aadhaar seeded Identification number to them without issuing any smart card
- Through the UWIN card, the government wants to provide social security to all those people who are not covered either by Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) or Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
Features:
- According to the notice, the “single unified sanitized database” will assign a ten-digit UWIN to every worker and include details of both nuclear and extended families of unorganized workers.
- While the Centre — through the service provider — will create and maintain the platform, it is up to the states to identify and register unorganized workers.
- The Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 will be used as the base for the platform, and other worker databases from the states as well as other Central ministries such as Textiles and Health will also be incorporated into UWIN.
- It is envisioned to have backend Aadhaar linkage to the UWIN number for the purpose of having an authenticated database.
The following steps have been taken to cover workers in the Unorganised Sector under the Social Security:
- Converged Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana / Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana in which premium is shared between Centre and the States in 50:50 ratio.
- National Health Projection Scheme
- National Family Benefit Scheme
- Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme
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