The central government has recently informed that as many as 22 crore candidates have applied to get permanent jobs in the recruitment in various departments of the central government in the 8 years from April 2014 to March 2022.
Out of the candidates who applied during this period, a total of 7.22 lakh candidates eventually managed to get their respective jobs.
Simply put, only 0.32 percent of the candidates who applied for the job got the job.
This is just one example of the situation created by unemployment in India.
In 2020 and 2022, lakhs and crores of people lost their jobs due to the covid-19 pandemic. Pandemic restrictions also affected government recruitment. Due to all these reasons, the unemployment rate has increased in many states of the country.
According to the Center for Monitoring of Indian Economy (CMIE), around 12 crore people lost their jobs during the first lockdown imposed in the wake of the Covid pandemic. The report states that 1 crore Indians lost their jobs during the second wave.
while the unemployment rate in rural areas is decreasing in India, on the other hand, the unemployment rate in urban areas is increasing. The main reason for this is the reduced number of jobs related to industry and service sectors.
In such a situation, only people who are struggling with unemployment can understand how difficult it is to find employment.
Govt rejects CMI E figures
The government has always rejected CMIE’s unemployment figures after releasing them. Answering a question in the Rajya Sabha on July 28, the central government said that a survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programs has found that India’s unemployment rate has come down.
The government said that along with increasing employment, the government’s priority is to increase employment capacity. For this, the central government has taken many steps in the country. Many schemes have also been started.
We reviewed some of the schemes claimed by the government.
1. National Career Service Portal
National Career Service Portal (http://www.ncs.gov.in) is a website operated by the Ministry of Labor and Employment.
This portal provides employment-related services like job matching, career counseling, vocational guidance, information on skill development activities, internships, etc. All services available on this portal are free of charge for job-seeking employers, training providers, and placement organizations.
One can also apply for government and private sector jobs by logging into this portal. Also, participation in employment fairs organized through the portal can also be registered.
According to the information provided by the government, more than 94 lakhs have been recruited through the NCS portal so far. Also, more than 2 lakh candidates have got jobs through employment fairs.
2. Deendayal Upadhyay Rural Skill Scheme
The objective of this scheme, which is being run by the Ministry of Rural Development of the Central Government, is to develop skills among the youth in rural areas. Through this, the aim is also to get them a job in the form of monthly wages or minimum wage level wages.
Candidates in the age group of 15 to 35 years can avail of the training programs conducted under this scheme. For women and other disadvantaged groups such as persons with disabilities, the age limit is up to 45 years.
Job seekers can get advice and guidance here. They are selected for the right job according to their ability.
According to the government, every type of work can be found here, from a welder making cars to a salesperson selling Premier shirts. Candidates can get government-recognized skill certificates after training from the government center under the scheme.
An application has to be submitted to the Gram Panchayat or Gramin Rozgar Sevak to avail of the benefit of the respective scheme. Gram rojgar Sevaks recommend the mobilization staff of the training center meets each other. Also, advice and guidance work is also done through them.
Applicants can also register on the website https://kaushalpanjee.nic.in/.
3. Prime Minister’s Monetary Scheme (PMMY)
Another ambitious scheme of the central government is Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY). The objective of this scheme is to promote self-employment.
Under Mudra Yojana, unsecured loans of up to 10 lakh rupees can be availed. These loans are given to micro and small enterprises or individuals. According to government data, loans have been disbursed to around 36 crore people till July 8, 2022, through this scheme.
Loans under Mudra Yojana are provided by commercial banks, regional rural banks, small finance institutions, microfinance and non-banking companies.
Candidates who wish to take a loan can contact the above institutions directly. Or can apply online at www.udyamimitra.in.
1.31 crore loans have been sanctioned during the current financial year 2022-23. According to the government data, a total of Rs 91 thousand 115 crore loans have been sanctioned in this financial year out of which Rs 85 thousand 817 crore have been disbursed.
A large number of vacant government posts
The government told the Lok Sabha that out of 40.65 lakh posts, 9.79 lakh posts are vacant till March 1, 2021. These posts are of all three grades i.e. Group A, B and C.
If we consider all three armed forces, an average of 60 thousand posts are recruited here every year. In the last two years, the recruitment process could not be completed due to covid. Therefore, there is a shortage of about 1 lakh jawans in the army.
Non-recruitment of government in the last few months is also a topic of discussion. In the month of February, thousands of youths protested violently against the selection process of the Railway Recruitment Board.
In the month of June, a shocking incident came to light regarding recruitment. The recruitment process for government school teachers was implemented in Andhra Pradesh in 1998. This process was completed in June this year after 22 years. The selected candidates in this recruitment are now being given appointment letters. Now his age has reached the threshold of retirement.
In the month of June itself, agitation broke out across the country over the central government’s Agneepath scheme. The plan was violently opposed in many quarters. Incidents like the burning of trains took place in the meantime.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised on June 14 that the government will recruit 10 lakh employees on mission mode in the next 18 months.
Working as the Director of the Center for Employment Studies of the Institute of Human Development, Delhi, Prof. According to Ravi Srivastava, “Central and state governments make huge announcements to fill vacancies in government jobs. But beyond that, they have not been able to do much. The main reason for this is that the government is giving all the posts on a contract basis. So, the vacancies are being filled for a long time. No. What happened to jobs in the armed forces is also a serious question.”
According to Srivastava, “To reduce the burden of pension and other benefits, the government has started contracting jobs in the armed forces as well. The same is happening in sectors like health and education. Currently, the number of permanent jobs in government sectors is very limited.”
Skill Development and Jobs
From time to time, the central government seems to talk about the schemes being run for skill development. But did skill development help in getting jobs?
Prof. According to Srivastava, “These schemes have not benefited as much as they should. It is not enough to create a pool of skilled people. Unless people are properly remunerated for such jobs in the market, there will be no difference.
How will jobs grow?
Prof. Srivastava says, “In order to increase jobs in the country, the government’s policy should be labor-centric. Instead of subsidizing capital, it is necessary to give subsidies to labour employment. This way can be useful to boost employment.”
If a foreign company wants to set up an industry in India, they need to get incentives. The central government has to focus on MSME i.e. Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises to increase jobs. Deficiencies in these industries should be identified and efforts should be made to eliminate them. Increasing small producers not only increase employment but also increases income. Therefore, Srivastava says that a policy should be made to increase small industries.
According to experts, around 20 percent of the jobs are in the organized sector. The remaining 80 percent of jobs are in the unorganized sector. Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have very high job creation potential. We have to focus on them.