While it may be widely agreed upon that growing unemployment rates in the country is one of India’s major challenges to development, it is shocking and almost disheartening to see the extent of the problem.
The Centre has admitted to the crisis in the country in the Parliament itself and confessed that unemployment rates in rural areas has almost doubled from 2.9% in 2013-14 to 5.3% in 2017-18. In the same period there was a 50% increase in the employment generated in urban India.
One of the most striking developments is the rise of unemployment among urban males from 3% to 6.9% during the two year period between 2015-16 to 2017-18.
The Union Minster for Labour Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in Raj Sabha on Wednesday that the unemployment rate had increased from 4.9% to 7.7% during the period.
The leader also said that the above data was arrived at based on the results of the annual Periodic Labour Force Survey(PLFS) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation during 2017-18 and the annual employment-unemployment survey conducted by the Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour and Employment, This data enable the government to reveal unemployment rates for more than a decade in India. This data has revealed that the unemployment rate in rural India have gone up from 2.9% in 2013-14 to 3.4% in 2015-16 and 5.3% in 2017-18. Whereas in urban areas it first fell down from 4.9% in 2013-14 to 4% in 2015-16, before it dramatically rose to 7.7% in 2017-18.
Gangwar said that though the unemployment rates in rural India had amplified and it did indeed pose a severe challenge ahead of the government, he also asserted agar the government was undertaking numerous steps to deal with the problem. He stated that the private sector was being encouraged to make substantial investments so that more new jobs may be created. He also said that the Centre was increasing public expenditure on schemes such as PM’s Employment Generation Programme, MGNREGA, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana and Deendayal Antodaya Yojana also the National Urban Livlihoods Mission had been increased.
The minster also spoke about how the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana had been initiated dir encouraging individuals to take up self-employment at a large scale. Under this scheme collateral free loans unto Rs 10 lakh are being extended for micro and small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to generate employment for themselves.
He also talked about the enhancement in skill development programs and how these had helped improve the national employability of the Indian youth. He also said that these measures will collectively help the government to improve the employment climate in the nation.
