Current Affairs: Passage of the Day - 01 February 2025 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, launched two significant initiatives – State and Union Territory Microsites under the e-Shram initiative and the Occupational Shortage Index (OSI), today during the Meeting with State/UT Labour Ministers & Secretaries held in New Delhi. Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Hon’ble Minister of State for Ministry of Labour and Employment, Labour Ministers from various States/UTs, Ms Sumita Dawra, Secretary and senior officials of Ministry of Labour and Employment, were also present during the meeting.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya stated, “The multilingual eShram microsite facility is a transformative initiative aimed at ensuring that unorganised workers have seamless access to both State and Central government welfare programs. This will not only empower workers but also enhance transparency and efficiency in welfare service delivery.”
Regarding the OSI, he further added, “By leveraging real-time labour market data, we are ensuring that skill development and job matching processes are data-driven and tailored to the actual needs of industries, making our workforce future-ready.”
e-Shram Microsites are state-specific digital platforms seamlessly integrated with the national e-Shram database. Facilitating two-way integration between State portals and the eShram portals, this will facilitate simplified registration of unorganised workers.
This will provide a one-stop solution for seamless access toboth 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.
For workers, the microsites offer 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.
The second major initiative launched is the Occupational Shortage Index (OSI) to match labour market demand and supply, enhancing employment outcomes across India. Based on ILO methodology and quarterly PLFS data, the OSI provides data-driven insights into occupations facing shortages, helping align job seekers' skills with industry demands.
The OSI 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.
[Excerpt from PIB "e-Shram Microsites and Occupational Shortage Index Launched" Dated 01/02/25]

Q1: What is the primary purpose of the e-Shram microsites?
(a) To provide financial aid to workers
(b) To integrate unorganised workers with welfare programs and job opportunities
(c) To replace the national e-Shram database
(d) To serve as a government job recruitment portal

View Answer  

Ans: (b)
Sol: The e-Shram microsites help unorganised workers access government welfare programs, job opportunities, and skilling initiatives.

Q2: Which minister introduced the e-Shram microsites and Occupational Shortage Index?
(a) Nirmala Sitharaman
(b) Mansukh Mandaviya
(c) Bhupender Yadav
(d) Piyush Goyal

View Answer  

Ans: (b)
Sol: Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched these initiatives during a meeting with State and UT Labour Ministers.

Q3: What is a key feature of the e-Shram microsites that makes them accessible to workers across India?
(a) They are multilingual
(b) They are available only in English
(c) They require Aadhaar-based verification
(d) They function as mobile applications

View Answer  

Ans: (a)
Sol: The microsites support multiple languages so that workers from diverse linguistic backgrounds can access information easily.

Q4: What is the purpose of the Occupational Shortage Index (OSI)?
(a) To identify industries that do not require workers
(b) To analyze job vacancies in the private sector
(c) To match labour market demand with supply and address skill gaps
(d) To create a new tax category for workers

View Answer  

Ans: (c)
Sol: The OSI identifies occupations facing shortages and helps job seekers align their skills with industry needs.

Q5: What methodology is used to develop the Occupational Shortage Index?
(a) World Bank employment survey
(b) National Census reports
(c) International Labour Organization’s methodology
(d) State government reports

View Answer  

Ans: (c)
Sol: The OSI is based on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) methodology and quarterly data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey.