Why in news?
The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has launched two major initiatives for 2025: SPREE-2025 and the Amnesty Scheme-2025.
 
SPREE 2025 (Scheme for Promoting Registration of Employers and Employees)

• Purpose: To increase social security coverage by encouraging registration of unregistered employers and employees under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Act.
• Operational Period: From 1st July 2025 to 31st December 2025.
• Eligibility: Employers of factories or establishments with 10 or more employees not registered under ESI, including temporary, casual, and contractual workers.
• Registration: Can be done digitally through ESIC Portal, Shram Suvidha Portal, and MCA Portal.

Key Benefits:

• No demand for past dues before registration.
• No inspections or penalties for the pre-registration period.
• Registration coverage is from the date declared by the employer.
• Employees get immediate ESI health and social security benefits post-registration.
• Focus: Voluntary compliance and reducing litigation burden for employers.
• Goal: Expand social security to more workers and simplify compliance for industries.

Amnesty Scheme 2025

• Purpose: One-time dispute resolution initiative aimed at reducing pending litigation and promoting compliance under the ESI Act.
• Operational Period: From 1st October 2025 to 30th September 2026.
• Coverage: Allows employers to resolve disputes related to damages, interest, and coverage outside courts.

Features:

• Enables withdrawal of court cases with authority given to Regional Directors and Sub-Regional Officers for processing.
• Provides relief by settling pending ESIC disputes through out-of-court settlements.
• Reduces legal burdens and supports ease of doing business.
• Background: As of March 2025, around 27,000 ESI Act cases were pending in courts.
• Aim: To promote timely compliance, reduce litigation, and improve social security delivery to employees.

Both schemes represent efforts to strengthen social security, encourage voluntary registration, reduce disputes, and foster cooperation between employers and employees in India’s labor ecosystem.

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