Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, launched the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme – 2025 during the 73rd Foundation Day celebrations of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in New Delhi.
The scheme is a special initiative by the Government of India aimed at promoting voluntary compliance and extending social security coverage to all eligible employees under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
Under the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme – 2025, employers can voluntarily enrol employees who were left out of EPF coverage between 1st July 2017 and 31st October 2025. This six-month scheme will remain open from 1st November 2025 to 30th April 2026, providing a simplified pathway to regularize past compliance.
What is the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme – 2025?
This is a special opportunity for employers to include employees who should have been covered by EPF between July 1, 2017, and October 31, 2025, but were missed. It also helps employers correct past compliance issues related to the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
Key Goals of the Scheme:
- Boost Transparency: Make the system clearer and more straightforward.
- Universal Coverage: Ensure that all eligible employees are included in EPF.
- Simplify Regularization: Make it easier for employers to correct past mistakes.
When is it Available?
The scheme will be open for six months, from November 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026.
The scheme allows all establishments, whether already covered or not under EPF, to declare eligible employees via the EPFO portal. The employee’s share for the declared period will be waived if not deducted earlier, while employers are required to remit their share, interest (Section 7Q), administrative charges, and a nominal penalty of ₹100 per establishment.
Notably, even establishments facing inquiries under Section 7A, Para 26B, or Para 8 of EPS-1995 are eligible, with damages limited to ₹100 notionally. The EPFO will also refrain from taking suo-motu compliance actions during this period.
*Suo motu means an action taken by an authority on its own initiative, without any external complaint or request.
This scheme is a major step toward wider EPF inclusion, workforce formalization, and the realization of the government’s goal of “Social Security for All.” It reflects the government’s continued commitment to ensuring that every worker benefits from India’s organized social protection framework.
Why is This Important?
This scheme is a major step towards:
- “Social Security for All”: It moves India closer to its goal of ensuring every worker has access to social safety nets.
- Wider EPF Coverage: More workers will get the benefits of the provident fund.
- Formalizing the Workforce: It helps bring more informal workers into the organized sector.
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