Get our free app for a better experience

4.9
Install Now

National Affairs

National Affairs

What is Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)?

21 Jul 2023 Zinkpot 537
  1. EPFO or Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation is a non-constitutional body that promotes employees to save funds for retirement. It was launched in 1951 and is governed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 
  2. There are three main schemes under EPFO:
    • Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme, 1952
    • Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995
    • Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme, 1976
  3. The scheme offered by the organization covers Indian workers and international workers (from countries with whom the EPFO has signed bilateral agreements).
  4. The primary goal of EPFO is to ensure that each employee only has one EPF account and that the organizations follow all the EPFO’s rules and regulations regularly.
  5. It facilitates easy compliance, ensures that online services are reliable, makes constant improvements in its facilities, makes certain that claim settlements are reduced from 20 days to 3 days, and promotes and encourages voluntary compliance.
  6. The EPFO has a portal through which all EPF subscribers have online access to their EPF accounts, and can execute operations such as withdrawal and checking their EPF balance.
  7. It assigns each member a 12-digit number known as Universal Account Number (UAN) which simplifies access to the EPFO member portal.
  8. Some of the services offered by the EPFO are a helpdesk for inoperative accounts, online withdrawal of EPS, generation of a certificate of coverage for international workers, monthly returns for exempted establishments, online transfer of EPF, online payments of pension, etc.
  9. The EPFO has also launched the Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) for EPF members. Employees can use their UAN and password to avail the services of the UMANG app. Various services such as viewing of EPF passbook, updating profile details, etc, are available on the UMANG app.
  10. What is EPF? Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is the major scheme under this organization, under which every establishment with 20 or more employees is covered, and some organizations that employ fewer than 20 people are also covered, subjected to certain constraints and exemptions.
  11. Under this scheme, the employee and the employer, each contribute 12% of the employees’ basic salary and dearness allowance towards EPF. After the employee retires, they receive a lump sum that includes both their own and their employer’s contribution, in addition to interest on both.
  12. Currently, the rate of interest on EPF deposits is 8.15 p.a.
     

About author

zinkpot

Zinkpot

Ask Anything, Know Better

ASK YOUR QUESTION
अपना प्रश्न पूछें
VIEW MORE
Join Whatsapp Group