Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 13: The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Monday announced the launch of the ‘Employees’ Enrolment Campaign, 2025’ (EEC 2025), aimed at significantly expanding the coverage of workers under the organised social security net through the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

According to an official statement, the scheme will be in effect from November 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026, and follows a similar campaign held in 2017 that successfully brought in left-out eligible employees from 2009 to 2016.

The campaign encourages both existing and new employers — those already registered and those newly coming under the ambit of the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 — to voluntarily declare and enroll eligible employees who were previously not covered under the EPF scheme.

Employers will be allowed to enroll all employees who joined their establishment between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025, provided they are still alive and employed on the date of declaration. These employees must not have been enrolled earlier in the EPF scheme for any reason.

In a notable relief measure, the employee’s share of the PF contribution for the past period will be waived, as long as it was not previously deducted from their wages. Employers, however, will be required to pay only their share of the contribution for the applicable period.

To further ease compliance, the campaign stipulates a nominal penal damage of only Rs 100 as a one-time lump sum per employee, which is significantly lower than the usual penalties for non-enrolment or delayed contributions.

The government believes the EEC 2025 initiative will help improve social security coverage while allowing employers to correct past records with minimal legal or financial burden, thereby promoting ease of doing business.

All establishments can participate in this campaign, regardless of whether they are currently undergoing inquiries under Section 7A of the EPF Act, Paragraph 26B of the scheme, or Paragraph 8 of the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995.

No suo motu action will be taken by the EPFO against employers for employees who have already left the organisation, provided they are covered under this declaration.

Employers declaring employees under this campaign will also be eligible to avail of the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri-Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PM-VBRY), subject to compliance with that scheme's conditions.

The declaration must be made online through a facility provided by the EPFO, where employers must enter the relevant employee details, link it to the Electronic Challan-cum-Return (Temporary Return Reference Number), and pay the nominal Rs 100 penal damage for each enrolment.

The Ministry expects the campaign to play a critical role in boosting social security inclusion for Indian workers while offering a practical route for employers to regularise compliance affordably.