5 Years of e-Shram Portal

Economy

News

The e-Shram Portal completed five years, marking a significant milestone in strengthening social security for India’s unorganised workforce.

e-Shram Portal

Launched: 2021 by Ministry of Labour & Employment; developed by NIC.
Purpose: First Aadhaar-seeded National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW).
UAN: Provides a unique 12-digit Universal Account Number.
Coverage: Construction, migrant, gig/platform, domestic, agricultural workers, street vendors, etc.
Eligibility: 16+ years, unorganised-sector workers; generally excludes income-tax payers and EPFO/ESIC members.
Objectives:
- Convergence of social-security schemes.
- Portability of welfare benefits, especially for migrant workers.
- Data-driven policymaking and better delivery of services.
- Support during emergencies/disasters.

International

News-

A new victim-led initiative to protect victims of terrorist attacks from online harm and re-traumatisation by the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN).
It was launched on the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.

VoTAN

VoTAN: Victims of Terrorism Associations Network.
Established: 2025 by the UN Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT).
Aim: Promote collective action for the rights and needs of victims and survivors of terrorism.
New initiative: Victim-led effort to protect survivors from online harm, fake/misleading content, misuse of stories and re-traumatisation.
International Day: 21 August – International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
Established by: UN General Assembly in 2017.
Significance: Strengthens a victim-centric approach to counter-terrorism and digital safety.

Science & Technology

Context (PIB):

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the third cohort of the GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) programme.

GENESIS EIR 3.0

Scheme: Part of GENESIS (Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups) under MeitY.
Aim: Accelerate early-stage tech startups, especially in Tier-II & Tier-III cities.
Nodal Agency: MeitY Startup Hub (MSH).
Eligibility: Indian citizens with TRL 1–4 innovations; startups <2 years old with prior funding below ₹10 lakh.
Support: Grants up to ₹10 lakh, incubation, mentorship, prototyping, industry linkages and IP/patent support.
Focus: AI, IoT, semiconductors, cybersecurity, blockchain, quantum computing & AR.

Environment

Context:

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is being held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Theme: “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” aligns with the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026).

Key Outcomes of COP17 of the UNCCD

Drought Resilience: Launched a new global architecture, including the Drought Resilience Investment Facility (DRIF) and the first Drought Resilience Index (DRI).
Rangelands: Launched the Rangelands Flagship Initiative, mobilising about US$1.2 billion across 45 projects to support rangeland restoration and pastoralist livelihoods.
Steppe Action Agenda: Promotes nature-based infrastructure, sustainable rangeland management and the land–water nexus.
Finance: More than US$1.3 billion was pledged across 23 countries for land restoration and drought resilience.
Restoration Flagships: Three new World Restoration Flagships were recognised in Brazil, the Sahel and Saudi Arabia.
Pastoralists: Global Pastoralist Declaration highlighted land-tenure rights and protection of pastoralist livelihoods.
Future COP: Egypt will host COP18 in 2028

Additional information – United Nations Convention to combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Objective – To combat desertification and It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment to sustainable land management.

June 17 – It is observed as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (WDCDD).

UNCCD COP16 (2024, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia): $12 billion was pledged for land restoration; India showcased the Aravalli Green Wall initiative.
Theme (2026): ‘Restoring Land, Restoring Hope’.

Science & technology

Context (IT):

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is receiving 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine amid a rapidly worsening Ebola outbreak.
Ervebo (rVSV-ZEBOV) is a single-dose vaccine used to protect against Ebola virus disease (EVD). It is a live, replication-competent recombinant viral vector vaccine.

Ebola virus disease (EVD)

It is formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever. It is a rare but severe, often fatal illness in humans.
First found in – Guinea in December 2013..
Transmission – The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population(Zoonotic nature).
Host – fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts.
Symptoms – Fever, fatigue, muscle, pain, headache, sore throat.

vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function.

Treatment – The Ervebo vaccine has been shown to be effective in protecting people from the species Zaire ebolavirus. Remdesivir was also tested as an Ebola treatment

Science & technology

Context (PIB):

GDCBA, an initiative of the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), has completed six months and is entering its next phase

Global Digital Capacity Building Alliance (GBDCA)

Initiative of: Capacity Building Commission (CBC) under Mission Karmayogi.
Aim: Global cooperation in public-sector capacity building through knowledge and experience sharing.
Goals: Institutional capacity, evidence-based decisions, global governance community and knowledge repository.
Reach: Partnerships across 10 countries and multiple global institutions.

Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)

Launched: 2022 by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
Target: De-notified, Nomadic & Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs/NTs/SNTs).
Type: Central Sector Scheme; ₹200 crore for 5 years.
4 Components:
1. Education: Free coaching for competitive/professional courses.
2. Health: ₹5 lakh/family/year through PM-JAY.
3. Livelihood: Income support through SHGs.
4. Housing: Assistance through convergence with PMAY.
Aim: Socio-economic empowerment and improved access to education, healthcare, livelihood and housing.