The Ministry of Labor and Employment said in a circular issued on 21 February 2025, "In this regard, the competent authority has extended the deadline for UAN activation and linking Aadhaar to bank account till 15 March 2025."

Big news related to the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) is coming out. Actually, the last date for activating the Universal Account Number (UAN) and linking the bank account with Aadhaar to avail the benefits under the Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme has been extended to 15 March 2025. This deadline has been extended several times before. Let us tell you, the previous deadline was 15 February 2025.

Linking date extended till March 15

The Ministry of Labor and Employment said in a circular issued on February 21, 2025, "In this regard, the competent authority has extended the deadline for UAN activation and linking Aadhaar to bank account till March 15, 2025."

What is UAN?

UAN (Universal Account Number) is a 12-digit number given to every salaried employee by the EPFO. It provides a single point access for employees to manage their PF accounts under different employers during their career. This allows them to track and access their provident fund balance under a single number.

Why is UAN activation necessary for ELI scheme?

It is mandatory for employees to activate their UAN and link their bank account with Aadhaar to avail monetary benefits under the ELI scheme. EPFO said in a post on social media platform X, "It is mandatory to link Aadhaar to your bank account to avail the benefits of Employment-Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme. Do it on time to avoid last minute hassle!"

Three versions of ELI scheme

In July 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the ELI scheme. There are three versions of this scheme-

Scheme A- It focuses on first-time employment and EPF scheme entrants.

Scheme B- It focuses on job creation in the manufacturing sector.

Scheme C- It supports employers.