Parliament Question: Benefits to new entrants

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4426 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2026 BENEFITS TO NEW ENTRANTS 4426. SHRI LAHAR SINGH SIROYA: SHRI MAYANKKUMAR NAYAK: SHRI JAGGESH: Will the Minister of Labour and Employment be pleased to state: (a) whether the Ministry has registered over one crore first-time employees under the Employment Linked Incentive scheme; (b) if not, the reasons therefor; (c) the manner in which mandatory financial literacy course on EPFO portal has improved the saving habits of new workforce entrants; (d) the progress made in disbursing the first installment of ₹7,500 to eligible first-time employees through Direct Benefit Transfer; (e) whether manufacturing sector has received an extended 4-year incentive to generate additional employment; (f) if so, the details thereof; and (g) the manner in which fresh job creation is being verified through Aadhaar-linked Electronic Challan-cum-Returns in 2026? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE) (a) to (g): The Central Government, on 1 July 2025, approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme, titled the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana (PMVBRY), to promote employment generation, enhance employability, and strengthen social security across all sectors, with a particular focus on the manufacturing sector. The scheme was launched on 15th August 2025. The scheme has a registration period of two years from 01.08.2025 to 31.07.2027 and a budgetary outlay of ₹99,446 Crore. Contd..2/-::2:: Under Part A of the scheme, the first-time employees of both existing and new establishments shall be eligible for an incentive equivalent to one month’s EPF wage, subject to a maximum of ₹15,000. This incentive will be payable in two instalments during the first year of employment. The first instalment, up to ₹7,500, shall be disbursed after completion of six months of continuous employment. Eligibility for the second instalment shall arise after completion of twelve months of employment and successful completion of the prescribed Financial Literacy Programme. This second instalment shall be credited to an appropriate savings instrument / saving account for a specified period. Part B incentivizes employers by providing up to ₹3,000 per month for each additional employment sustained for at least 6 months. The scheme will provide incentive to all sectors for 2 years. However, for the manufacturing sector the incentive period will be 4 years. The scheme is demand-driven; hence, no State-specific or constituency-specific targets have been pre-determined. ******