The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) stands as a cornerstone of India’s social security framework, managing the retirement savings of over 7.7 crore members and facilitating contributions worth trillions of rupees annually. Established under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, EPFO has evolved from a rudimentary savings mechanism into a sophisticated digital ecosystem under the stewardship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government since 2014.

The Modi administration’s reforms in EPFO reflect a broader vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas‘ — inclusive growth through technology, ease of doing business, and enhanced worker welfare. These initiatives have not only digitised services but also expanded coverage, streamlined processes, and fortified financial security amid economic uncertainties. From raising the minimum pension floor to launching EPFO 3.0, the Modi government’s interventions have addressed long-standing bottlenecks like manual verifications and delayed claims. As of October 2025, EPFO data shows a record 2.2 million formal jobs added in June 2025 alone, underscoring the reforms’ role in formalising employment. Prior to 2014, EPFO grappled with inefficiencies inherited from colonial-era structures. Manual record-keeping led to discrepancies in passbooks, delayed settlements averaging 20-30 days, and a coverage limited to about 5 crore members. The wage ceiling for contributions stagnated at Rs 6,500, excluding a vast middle-income bracket. Pensioners under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995 often received meagre amounts, with commutation options withdrawn in 2009, leaving 6.3 lakh retirees without lump-sum relief, under the incompetent, erstwhile Congress regimes.

Corruption scandals, such as delayed remittances by employers, eroded trust, while the absence of digital integration hampered portability for migrant workers. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s tenure saw only marginal steps, lacking a cohesive digital push. Job creation stagnated, with only 2.9 crore formal jobs added between 2004-2014, per Labour Ministry data. Under PM Modi’s dynamic vision, however, over 17.9 crore jobs have been added in the last eleven years. Modi’s ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ mantra has, in fact, heralded a paradigm shift, aligning EPFO with the Digital India initiative launched in 2015. This programme, with its pillars of infrastructure, services and literacy, provided the bedrock for EPFO’s modernisation, aiming to connect rural areas and deliver services via mobile apps. The Modi government’s reforms focused on inclusivity. For example, in September 2014, the minimum pension under EPS was hiked from nil to Rs 1,000 monthly, benefiting 28 lakh pensioners and signalling a commitment to the elderly poor.........

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