<p>In a dire need to secure a stable future, more than 46,000 postgraduates and graduates applied for the post of sweeper in the Haryana government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The applicants’ data show that of more than one lakh individuals who sought the job between Aug 6 and Sep 2, 46, 102 applicants were postgraduates or graduates. The data presents a mirror to the grim situation of the unemployment rate in the state and the country, especially the young graduates.</p>

<p>The job profile of a sweeper includes cleaning offices affiliated with the Haryana government like departments, boards, corporations or even civic bodies. The monthly salary for the post is as low as Rs. 15,000. The data left many wondering why such a job advertisement would attract anybody.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-to-print-new-banknotes-to-claim-indian-territories-as-its-own-755729">Nepal to print new banknotes to claim Indian territories as its own</a></p>

<p>Some call it a desperate bid to secure the coveted stability and security of a government job and others see this as a stark reflection of a contracting job market and rising unemployment.</p>

<p>The overwhelming response from educated candidates to the job position of sweeper left everyone startled. The job position was released through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited (HKRN), which is the state government’s outsourcing agency for providing contractual manpower.</p>

<p>Among these highly educated applicants, one such person was Manish Kumar who has a postgraduate with a diploma in business studies, and his wife Roopa, who is a qualified teacher.</p>

<p>"Even in private schools or companies, we barely get Rs 10,000 a month. Here, there's a glimmer of hope for regular employment in future. Plus, sweeping isn't a full-day job, so we can pursue other work during the day," Manish said.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-government-gives-nod-to-procure-military-hardware-worth-17-billion-755650">Indian government gives nod to procure military hardware worth $17 billion</a></p>

<p>The story of Sumitra, a resident of Rohtak is also the same. She faced repeated setbacks in her attempts to secure a seat through the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). &nbsp;For her, securing a job is much more important than the kind of job she has to do.</p>

<p>"This is the only job left that I could apply for with any hope of a positive response. My family has refused to fund further studies or coaching, so employment is my lone option now," Sumitra said.</p>

<p>As per the data pertaining to the applicants for the jobs of sweepers, more than 39,990 graduates and over 6,112 postgraduates have applied for these unskilled menial jobs. The data (updated till September 2) shows that about 1,17,144 individuals having studied till Class 12 have also applied for the sweeper’s job. A total of 3.95 lakh individuals have applied for the job.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a dire need to secure a stable future, more than 46,000 postgraduates and graduates applied for the post of sweeper in the Haryana government. The applicants’ data show that of more than one lakh individuals who sought the job between Aug 6 and Sep 2, 46, 102 applicants were postgraduates or graduates.

In a dire need to secure a stable future, more than 46,000 postgraduates and graduates applied for the post of sweeper in the Haryana government. The applicants’ data show that of more than one lakh individuals who sought the job between Aug 6 and Sep 2, 46, 102 applicants were postgraduates or graduates. The data presents a mirror to the grim situation of the unemployment rate in the state and the country, especially the young graduates. The job profile of a sweeper includes cleaning offices affiliated with the Haryana government like departments, boards, corporations or even civic bodies. The monthly salary for the post is as low as Rs. 15,000. The data left many wondering why such a job advertisement would attract anybody. Also Read | Nepal to print new banknotes to claim Indian territories as its own Some call it a desperate bid to secure the coveted stability and security of a government job and others see this as a stark reflection of a contracting job market and rising unemployment. The overwhelming response from educated candidates to the job position of sweeper left everyone startled. The job position was released through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited (HKRN), which is the state government’s outsourcing agency for providing contractual manpower. Among these highly educated applicants, one such person was Manish Kumar who has a postgraduate with a diploma in business studies, and his wife Roopa, who is a qualified teacher. "Even in private schools or companies, we barely get Rs 10,000 a month. Here, there's a glimmer of hope for regular employment in future. Plus, sweeping isn't a full-day job, so we can pursue other work during the day," Manish said. Also Read | Indian government gives nod to procure military hardware worth $17 billion The story of Sumitra, a resident of Rohtak is also the same. She faced repeated setbacks in her attempts to secure a seat through the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). For her, securing a job is much more important than the kind of job she has to do. "This is the only job left that I could apply for with any hope of a positive response. My family has refused to fund further studies or coaching, so employment is my lone option now," Sumitra said. As per the data pertaining to the applicants for the jobs of sweepers, more than 39,990 graduates and over 6,112 postgraduates have applied for these unskilled menial jobs. The data (updated till September 2) shows that about 1,17,144 individuals having studied till Class 12 have also applied for the sweeper’s job. A total of 3.95 lakh individuals have applied for the job. (With inputs from agencies)

Haryana: More than 46,000 postgraduates and graduates apply for sweeper's job

Before the coronavirus hit New Delhi, Mohammad Aamir Khan was a taxi driver making a living in the Indian capital. But after work dried up during a nearly three-month lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus, a friend suggested he take on a part-time job at perhaps the only booming business in the country - driving a private ambulance.

"Someone has to do it" - Indian taxi driver gets behind wheel of ambulance amid spiking virus cases

<p>CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has targeted the Central government over its handling of COVID-19 lockdown in the country and demanded that the government transfer Rs 7,500 per month, for the next three months, to the accounts of people who lost their livelihood due to the crisis.</p>

<p>He pointed out that the unemployment rate in the country shot up from 7.5 per cent to 23.6 per cent from early March to April 20.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-lauds-india-post-postmen-for-their-stupendous-efforts-during-lockdown-294785"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;PM Modi lauds India Post, postmen for their 'stupendous efforts' during lockdown</strong></a></p>

<p>"It is imperative that immediately the Central government transfers Rs 7,500 per month for the next three months to all who have lost their livelihoods. Surely, if a staggering Rs 7.76 lakhs of crores of loans taken by the super rich and corporates can be waived off by your government during the last five years, there should be no shortage of funds to feed and support the majority of our people," he said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.</p>

<p>The CPI-M leader also questioned the manner in which the lockdown was imposed in the country.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/with-1990-new-cases-india-witnesses-highest-coronavirus-cases-in-24-hour-period-294814"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;With 1,990 new cases, India witnesses highest coronavirus cases in 24-hour period</strong></a></p>

<p>"Since the lockdown, the urge among the migrant workers to return to their homes has seen surging crowds in huge numbers seeking to leave for their homes as they have lost all means of livelihood and shelter. This in itself negated one of the objectives of the lockdown, of maintaining physical distancing in order to contain community transmission of the pandemic," he wrote.</p>

<p>"Since the announcement of the lockdown, we had suggested that the Central government must immediately provide free food to all the needy. Huge stocks of foodgrains are rotting in our central godowns. These should be sent to the states for free distribution. Neither of these demands has even been considered by the government with you as the Prime Minister," he added.</p>

<p>India is under a nation-wide lockdown which was imposed on March 25 and later extended on April 14 to May 3 to stem the spread of coronavirus.&nbsp;</p>


CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has targeted the Central government over its handling of COVID-19 lockdown in the country and demanded that the government transfer Rs 7,500 per month, for the next three months, to the accounts of people who lost their livelihood due to the crisis.

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has targeted the Central government over its handling of COVID-19 lockdown in the country and demanded that the government transfer Rs 7,500 per month, for the next three months, to the accounts of people who lost their livelihood due to the crisis. He pointed out that the unemployment rate in the country shot up from 7.5 per cent to 23.6 per cent from early March to April 20. Also read: PM Modi lauds India Post, postmen for their 'stupendous efforts' during lockdown "It is imperative that immediately the Central government transfers Rs 7,500 per month for the next three months to all who have lost their livelihoods. Surely, if a staggering Rs 7.76 lakhs of crores of loans taken by the super rich and corporates can be waived off by your government during the last five years, there should be no shortage of funds to feed and support the majority of our people," he said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CPI-M leader also questioned the manner in which the lockdown was imposed in the country. Also read: With 1,990 new cases, India witnesses highest coronavirus cases in 24-hour period "Since the lockdown, the urge among the migrant workers to return to their homes has seen surging crowds in huge numbers seeking to leave for their homes as they have lost all means of livelihood and shelter. This in itself negated one of the objectives of the lockdown, of maintaining physical distancing in order to contain community transmission of the pandemic," he wrote. "Since the announcement of the lockdown, we had suggested that the Central government must immediately provide free food to all the needy. Huge stocks of foodgrains are rotting in our central godowns. These should be sent to the states for free distribution. Neither of these demands has even been considered by the government with you as the Prime Minister," he added. India is under a nation-wide lockdown which was imposed on March 25 and later extended on April 14 to May 3 to stem the spread of coronavirus.

Govt should provide Rs 7,500 per month for three months to those who lost livelihood in lockdown: Sitaram Yechury

India Budget 2019: Rahul Gandhi tweets to mock high unemployment rate in India

<p>The BJP and Congress president Rahul Gandhi engaged in a war of words on Twitter today over a report on country's unemployment rate. The report published in a newspaper on Thursday said that the official survey that has been withheld by the government shows India's unemployment rate rose to a 45-year high during 2017-2018.</p>

<p>The assessment by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) conducted between July 2017-June 2018 showed the unemployment rate stood at 6.1 per cent, the highest since 1972-73, the newspaper reported. The report further said that joblessness stood at 7.8 per cent in urban areas compared with 5.3 parts in the countryside.</p>

<p>The government has so far not confirmed or denied the report.</p>

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi drew the first blood with a tweet attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "NoMo Jobs! The Fuhrer promised us 2 Cr jobs a year. 5 years later, his leaked job creation report card reveals a National Disaster. Unemployment is at its highest in 45 yrs. 6.5 Cr youth are jobless in 2017-18 alone. Time for NoMo2Go," Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">NoMo Jobs!<br />
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The Fuhrer promised us 2 Cr jobs a year. 5 years later, his leaked job creation report card reveals a National Disaster.<br />
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Unemployment is at its highest in 45 yrs.<br />
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6.5 Cr youth are jobless in 2017-18 alone.<br />
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Time for NoMo2Go. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HowsTheJobs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HowsTheJobs</a> <a href="https://t.co/nbX4iYmsiZ">pic.twitter.com/nbX4iYmsiZ</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1090891044361773056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hitting back, the BJP on Thursday alleged that Congress president has a myopic understanding of issues and said only someone who has never held a proper job "can peddle such fake news".</p>

<p>The BJP tweeted that Rahul Gandhi had inherited shortsightedness of Mussolini, the Italian dictator.</p>

<p>"It's clear that he has inherited Mussolini's shortsightedness and has myopic understanding of issues. EPFO's real data shows sharp increase in jobs, created in just the last 15 months. Only a man who hasn't ever held a proper job and is totally jobless can peddle such #FakeNews!" the party said in a tweet from its official handle.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It's clear that he has inherited Mussolini's shortsightedness and has myopic understanding of issues.<br />
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EPFO's real data shows sharp increase in jobs, created in just the last 15 months.<br />
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Only a man who hasn't ever held a proper job &amp; is totally jobless can peddle such <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FakeNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FakeNews</a>! <a href="https://t.co/T0DHUs7IdZ">https://t.co/T0DHUs7IdZ</a></p>
— BJP (@BJP4India) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India/status/1090903248997822464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Two independent members of the National Statistical Commission quit on Wednesday over non-release of job figures. Stating that the National Statistical Commission (NSC) had recommended to release the employment report in January 2019, P C Mohanan and J V Meenakshi said the members were sidelined and were "unable to discharge" duties.</p>

<p>The government, however, said the two had not expressed any concern in panel meetings. "These concerns were not expressed by the members in any of the meetings of the Commission in the last few months," Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) said in a statement on Wednesday. The ministry, it further added, values the advice of NSC and takes appropriate action.</p>


The BJP and Congress president Rahul Gandhi engaged in a war of words on Twitter today over a report on country's unemployment rate. The report published in a newspaper on Thursday said that the official survey that has been withheld by the government shows India's unemployment rate rose to a 45-year high during 2017-2018.

The BJP and Congress president Rahul Gandhi engaged in a war of words on Twitter today over a report on country's unemployment rate. The report published in a newspaper on Thursday said that the official survey that has been withheld by the government shows India's unemployment rate rose to a 45-year high during 2017-2018. The assessment by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) conducted between July 2017-June 2018 showed the unemployment rate stood at 6.1 per cent, the highest since 1972-73, the newspaper reported. The report further said that joblessness stood at 7.8 per cent in urban areas compared with 5.3 parts in the countryside. The government has so far not confirmed or denied the report. Congress president Rahul Gandhi drew the first blood with a tweet attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "NoMo Jobs! The Fuhrer promised us 2 Cr jobs a year. 5 years later, his leaked job creation report card reveals a National Disaster. Unemployment is at its highest in 45 yrs. 6.5 Cr youth are jobless in 2017-18 alone. Time for NoMo2Go," Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter. NoMo Jobs! The Fuhrer promised us 2 Cr jobs a year. 5 years later, his leaked job creation report card reveals a National Disaster. Unemployment is at its highest in 45 yrs. 6.5 Cr youth are jobless in 2017-18 alone. Time for NoMo2Go. #HowsTheJobs pic.twitter.com/nbX4iYmsiZ — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 31, 2019 × Hitting back, the BJP on Thursday alleged that Congress president has a myopic understanding of issues and said only someone who has never held a proper job "can peddle such fake news". The BJP tweeted that Rahul Gandhi had inherited shortsightedness of Mussolini, the Italian dictator. "It's clear that he has inherited Mussolini's shortsightedness and has myopic understanding of issues. EPFO's real data shows sharp increase in jobs, created in just the last 15 months. Only a man who hasn't ever held a proper job and is totally jobless can peddle such #FakeNews!" the party said in a tweet from its official handle. It's clear that he has inherited Mussolini's shortsightedness and has myopic understanding of issues. EPFO's real data shows sharp increase in jobs, created in just the last 15 months. Only a man who hasn't ever held a proper job & is totally jobless can peddle such #FakeNews! https://t.co/T0DHUs7IdZ — BJP (@BJP4India) January 31, 2019 × Two independent members of the National Statistical Commission quit on Wednesday over non-release of job figures. Stating that the National Statistical Commission (NSC) had recommended to release the employment report in January 2019, P C Mohanan and J V Meenakshi said the members were sidelined and were "unable to discharge" duties. The government, however, said the two had not expressed any concern in panel meetings. "These concerns were not expressed by the members in any of the meetings of the Commission in the last few months," Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) said in a statement on Wednesday. The ministry, it further added, values the advice of NSC and takes appropriate action.

'Fuhrer', 'Mussolini': Rahul Gandhi, BJP spar over jobs report

<p>Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said rising unemployment in India was &quot;MMD: Modi Made Disaster&quot;.</p>

<p>Rahul used 112th Annual Session of PHD Chamber of Commerce platform here to launch a scathing attack on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government. &quot;Rising unemployment in India is a&nbsp;&#39;MMD: Modi Made Disaster&#39; and after 3 years of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government, India&#39;s expectations are shattered,&quot; Rahul claimed, while adding:&quot;China creates 50,000 jobs per day against Indian rate of 458, but no amount of growth is good enough if it isn&#39;t accompanied by jobs.&quot;</p>

<p>The Congress vice-president further asserted that people don&#39;t trust the Modi-led central government. &quot;Business thrives on trust. Business is about creating harmony. The truth is that the trust in this government is dead. For some reasons, the PM and his government are absolutely convinced that every single person in this country is a thief,&quot; Rahul Gandhi said.</p>

<p>He also said that today no one in the government listens to the pain of people. &quot;One develops trust by listening to each other. Today there is no one in the government who is ready to listen to the pain of our people,&quot; the Congress vice president said.</p>

<p>Rahul also took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s claim of having &#39;56-inch chest&#39; and said, &quot;Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very a big chest but a small heart. Modi <em>ji</em><em> </em>and his government have given a double blow to our economy- demonetisation and GST (Goods and Services Tax).&quot;</p>

<p>As the BJP&#39;s prime ministerial candidate in January 2014, Narendra Modi declared at a rally in Uttar Pradesh that &quot;a 56-inch chest&quot; is a pre-requisite to convert India&#39;s most populous state into one as developed as Gujarat.</p>

<p>Ahead of the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8, Rahul also targeted the prime minister over the shock move.</p>

<p>&quot;Prime Minister has forgotten that all cash is not black and all black is not bad. November 8th is the &#39;barsi&#39; (death anniversary) of note ban. GST or Gabbar Singh Tax has unleashed tax terrorism. Small businesses are crying due to the GST,&quot; Rahul Gandhi said.</p>

<p>On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the&nbsp;demonetisation of Rs 500&nbsp;and Rs 1000&nbsp;banknotes with an aim to weaken the black money or shadow economy in the country. With the shock move completing a year, the Opposition parties have announced they will observe November 8 as &#39;black day&#39;.</p>

<p>The BJP will&nbsp;observe the day as &#39;Anti-Black Money Day&#39; to counter the Opposition&#39;s plan. The GST is an indirect tax which was introduced in India on July 1, 2017, and is applicable throughout India which replaced multiple cascading taxes levied by the central and state governments.</p>

<p>On Monday, while addressing a rally in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Rahul for the first time termed GST as &#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39;.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Congress vice-president also launched an attack on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and said, &quot;Businesses are drowning, but Mr&nbsp;Jaitley has the nerve to go on TV every other day saying things are just fine. However, recent research by eminent economists has shown that economic inequality is at is at its highest in the Modi regime.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;The &#39;Startup India&#39; is good for the economy but it cannot be accompanied by &#39;Shut up India&#39;,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Jaitley on Wednesday criticised the Congress over black money by saying that he can&#39;t recollect any significant step that the grand old party had taken during its tenure to address the problem. The Finance Minister also said that the Congress and others who are making comments on note ban have not understood the whole object behind the demonetisation move.</p>

<p>Jaitley said that it is obvious that those parties which were in power couldn&#39;t take action against black money as squeezing black money is not possible through baby steps. Rahul also mocked the BJP over Taj Mahal controversy, on a day Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Taj Mahal for the first time since assuming power in the state and after BJP MLA Sangeet Som&#39;s stirred up a controversy with his statement on the iconic monument. &quot;World is laughing at us with debates that Taj Mahal was built by Indians,&quot; Rahul said.</p>

<p>The BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh raked up a controversy by saying that Taj Mahal was built by &quot;traitors&quot; who wanted to eliminate all Hindus. After the issue was picked up by the Opposition, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that it didn&#39;t matter who built Taj Mahal and for what reason. It was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers.&nbsp;</p>


Rahul Gandhi used 112th Annual Session of PHD Chamber of Commerce platform to launch a scathing attack on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said rising unemployment in India was "MMD: Modi Made Disaster". Rahul used 112th Annual Session of PHD Chamber of Commerce platform here to launch a scathing attack on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government. "Rising unemployment in India is a 'MMD: Modi Made Disaster' and after 3 years of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government, India's expectations are shattered," Rahul claimed, while adding:"China creates 50,000 jobs per day against Indian rate of 458, but no amount of growth is good enough if it isn't accompanied by jobs." The Congress vice-president further asserted that people don't trust the Modi-led central government. "Business thrives on trust. Business is about creating harmony. The truth is that the trust in this government is dead. For some reasons, the PM and his government are absolutely convinced that every single person in this country is a thief," Rahul Gandhi said. He also said that today no one in the government listens to the pain of people. "One develops trust by listening to each other. Today there is no one in the government who is ready to listen to the pain of our people," the Congress vice president said. Rahul also took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim of having '56-inch chest' and said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has very a big chest but a small heart. Modi ji and his government have given a double blow to our economy- demonetisation and GST (Goods and Services Tax)." As the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in January 2014, Narendra Modi declared at a rally in Uttar Pradesh that "a 56-inch chest" is a pre-requisite to convert India's most populous state into one as developed as Gujarat. Ahead of the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8, Rahul also targeted the prime minister over the shock move. "Prime Minister has forgotten that all cash is not black and all black is not bad. November 8th is the 'barsi' (death anniversary) of note ban. GST or Gabbar Singh Tax has unleashed tax terrorism. Small businesses are crying due to the GST," Rahul Gandhi said. On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes with an aim to weaken the black money or shadow economy in the country. With the shock move completing a year, the Opposition parties have announced they will observe November 8 as 'black day'. The BJP will observe the day as 'Anti-Black Money Day' to counter the Opposition's plan. The GST is an indirect tax which was introduced in India on July 1, 2017, and is applicable throughout India which replaced multiple cascading taxes levied by the central and state governments. On Monday, while addressing a rally in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Rahul for the first time termed GST as 'Gabbar Singh Tax'. Meanwhile, the Congress vice-president also launched an attack on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and said, "Businesses are drowning, but Mr Jaitley has the nerve to go on TV every other day saying things are just fine. However, recent research by eminent economists has shown that economic inequality is at is at its highest in the Modi regime." "The 'Startup India' is good for the economy but it cannot be accompanied by 'Shut up India'," he added. Jaitley on Wednesday criticised the Congress over black money by saying that he can't recollect any significant step that the grand old party had taken during its tenure to address the problem. The Finance Minister also said that the Congress and others who are making comments on note ban have not understood the whole object behind the demonetisation move. Jaitley said that it is obvious that those parties which were in power couldn't take action against black money as squeezing black money is not possible through baby steps. Rahul also mocked the BJP over Taj Mahal controversy, on a day Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Taj Mahal for the first time since assuming power in the state and after BJP MLA Sangeet Som's stirred up a controversy with his statement on the iconic monument. "World is laughing at us with debates that Taj Mahal was built by Indians," Rahul said. The BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh raked up a controversy by saying that Taj Mahal was built by "traitors" who wanted to eliminate all Hindus. After the issue was picked up by the Opposition, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that it didn't matter who built Taj Mahal and for what reason. It was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers.

Rising unemployment in India is 'Modi Made Disaster': Rahul Gandhi

<p>First, consider the numbers. Between 2003 and 2009, the high growth years of the economy, when GDP grew by 8 per cent per year on average, the number of good jobs, that is, jobs in the formal sector of the economy, grew at not even one-tenth that number. Look at it another way. Every year millions of new aspirants enter the job market to compete for a few hundred thousand new jobs.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>Even the lowest paid government jobs regularly attract such large numbers of extremely over-qualified applicants that violence ensues in the wake of examinations.</h5>
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<p>Now let us descend to the ground. We witness enormous agitations for reservations in government jobs rising from traditionally dominant castes, such as Jats, Patels, and Marathas. Around two weeks ago, in West Bengal, 2.5 million young men and women appeared for an exam for 6000 Group-D positions in the state government. Graduates and post-graduates had applied for these positions which require an elementary school certificate and with the pay of Rs. 16,200 per month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One increasingly popular term captures all this: &ldquo;jobless growth.&rdquo; While this phenomenon has been known at least since the mid-1990s, and is observed across the world, it is becoming a hot political issue. And not a day too soon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What is the economy for, anyway? It is always a good question to ask whenever we risk getting lost in GDP numbers, policy reforms, and stock market movements. These are all means to an end, viz. enabling all of us to enjoy fulfilling, creative, happy lives. In a market economy, adequate regular money income is a precondition for such a life. Yet our economy continues to deny this precondition to the vast majority of its workers. So, while GDP grows at some of the fastest rates seen across the world, the number of people who are able to enjoy a good life increase at a much much slower rate. And even this increase is very uneven across regions, occupations, castes, genders, and religions with some, like displaced farmers and artisans seeing declines in their living standards.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Riding a wave of resentment against the previous regime, the Prime Minister himself made jobs a central issue during his campaign. But three years later, not much has changed and the BJP government is being seen as a failure on the job creation front. After several weeks of bad press on this issue, a few days ago, BJP President Amit Shah issued a statement that it was not possible to provide formal sector jobs to everyone in a country of 125 crore people. This is a telling as well as an astonishing statement. Telling because it admits to a truth that few would admit to. That under the present set of policies (whether BJP or UPA) universal employment is impossible. Astonishing because for decades the transition to a completely formal economy has been the very definition of development. That we, and many other countries, have failed at acheiving this is surely an indictment of our policies. But are we then giving up on development? Or are we redefining it? And if so how? There is no answer.</p>

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<h5>Regular salaried workers account for only 20 per cent of all workers in India.</h5>
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<p>The intense hunger for even the lowest paid government jobs comes as no surprise once we take a look at the Ministry of Labour numbers on earnings in the Indian labour market. According to the most recent Employment-Unemployment Survey of the Labour Bureau (2014-2015), regular salaried workers account for only 20 per cent of all workers in India. Earnings from either self-employment or casual wage work (both of which together account for the remaining 80 per cent of the workforce) fall far short of a secure, decent, livelihood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nationally, 67 per cent of households reports monthly earnings of Rs. 10,000 or less. 98 per cent are under Rs. 50,000 per month. Earning over Rs 1 lakh per month puts a household in the top 0.2 per cent of income earners in the country. &nbsp;More than half of the regular wage/salaried workers i.e. 57 per cent have monthly average earnings of up to Rs 10,000, well under the government minimum salary under the 7th pay commission. 59 per cent of the casual workers has monthly earnings of up to Rs 5000.</p>

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<h5>Successive governments at the Centre and in the states have embraced liberalisation and privatisation policies that have failed to generate jobs.</h5>
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<p>Of course, the current government in Delhi must take its share of the blame for the jobs crisis. But there is plenty of blame to go around. Successive governments at the Centre and in the states have embraced liberalisation and privatisation policies that have failed to generate jobs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the problem goes beyond India too. In the 1950s-80s, in Japan, Korea and the other &ldquo;East Asian Miracle countries&rdquo;, rapid GDP growth generated a vast number of jobs. This shifted a predominantly agricultural workforce to manufacturing and services. Not only that, jobs were created in the formal sector.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In contrast, in India and China, particularly since the 1990s, despite high levels of growth, formal employment generation has been slow. This is a general phenomenon across Asia. Manufacturing, in particular, is a big concern. In the 2005-2011 period, according to National Sample Survey data, manufacturing employment in India increased by 6 million while that in construction increased by 25 million. Construction accounted for half of all new non-agricultural jobs added in this period. The &ldquo;Make in India&rdquo; campaign aims to generate 100 million jobs by 2022 in the manufacturing sector. While the goal is laudable, given trends reported above, this seems unlikely to materialise. And Amit Shah&rsquo;s statement, referred to earlier, seems to indicate that backpedaling on this issue has started already.</p>


Under the present set of policies (whether BJP or UPA) universal employment is impossible

First, consider the numbers. Between 2003 and 2009, the high growth years of the economy, when GDP grew by 8 per cent per year on average, the number of good jobs, that is, jobs in the formal sector of the economy, grew at not even one-tenth that number. Look at it another way. Every year millions of new aspirants enter the job market to compete for a few hundred thousand new jobs. Even the lowest paid government jobs regularly attract such large numbers of extremely over-qualified applicants that violence ensues in the wake of examinations. × Now let us descend to the ground. We witness enormous agitations for reservations in government jobs rising from traditionally dominant castes, such as Jats, Patels, and Marathas. Around two weeks ago, in West Bengal, 2.5 million young men and women appeared for an exam for 6000 Group-D positions in the state government. Graduates and post-graduates had applied for these positions which require an elementary school certificate and with the pay of Rs. 16,200 per month. One increasingly popular term captures all this: “jobless growth.” While this phenomenon has been known at least since the mid-1990s, and is observed across the world, it is becoming a hot political issue. And not a day too soon. What is the economy for, anyway? It is always a good question to ask whenever we risk getting lost in GDP numbers, policy reforms, and stock market movements. These are all means to an end, viz. enabling all of us to enjoy fulfilling, creative, happy lives. In a market economy, adequate regular money income is a precondition for such a life. Yet our economy continues to deny this precondition to the vast majority of its workers. So, while GDP grows at some of the fastest rates seen across the world, the number of people who are able to enjoy a good life increase at a much much slower rate. And even this increase is very uneven across regions, occupations, castes, genders, and religions with some, like displaced farmers and artisans seeing declines in their living standards. Riding a wave of resentment against the previous regime, the Prime Minister himself made jobs a central issue during his campaign. But three years later, not much has changed and the BJP government is being seen as a failure on the job creation front. After several weeks of bad press on this issue, a few days ago, BJP President Amit Shah issued a statement that it was not possible to provide formal sector jobs to everyone in a country of 125 crore people. This is a telling as well as an astonishing statement. Telling because it admits to a truth that few would admit to. That under the present set of policies (whether BJP or UPA) universal employment is impossible. Astonishing because for decades the transition to a completely formal economy has been the very definition of development. That we, and many other countries, have failed at acheiving this is surely an indictment of our policies. But are we then giving up on development? Or are we redefining it? And if so how? There is no answer. Regular salaried workers account for only 20 per cent of all workers in India. × The intense hunger for even the lowest paid government jobs comes as no surprise once we take a look at the Ministry of Labour numbers on earnings in the Indian labour market. According to the most recent Employment-Unemployment Survey of the Labour Bureau (2014-2015), regular salaried workers account for only 20 per cent of all workers in India. Earnings from either self-employment or casual wage work (both of which together account for the remaining 80 per cent of the workforce) fall far short of a secure, decent, livelihood. Nationally, 67 per cent of households reports monthly earnings of Rs. 10,000 or less. 98 per cent are under Rs. 50,000 per month. Earning over Rs 1 lakh per month puts a household in the top 0.2 per cent of income earners in the country. More than half of the regular wage/salaried workers i.e. 57 per cent have monthly average earnings of up to Rs 10,000, well under the government minimum salary under the 7th pay commission. 59 per cent of the casual workers has monthly earnings of up to Rs 5000. Successive governments at the Centre and in the states have embraced liberalisation and privatisation policies that have failed to generate jobs. × Of course, the current government in Delhi must take its share of the blame for the jobs crisis. But there is plenty of blame to go around. Successive governments at the Centre and in the states have embraced liberalisation and privatisation policies that have failed to generate jobs. But the problem goes beyond India too. In the 1950s-80s, in Japan, Korea and the other “East Asian Miracle countries”, rapid GDP growth generated a vast number of jobs. This shifted a predominantly agricultural workforce to manufacturing and services. Not only that, jobs were created in the formal sector. In contrast, in India and China, particularly since the 1990s, despite high levels of growth, formal employment generation has been slow. This is a general phenomenon across Asia. Manufacturing, in particular, is a big concern. In the 2005-2011 period, according to National Sample Survey data, manufacturing employment in India increased by 6 million while that in construction increased by 25 million. Construction accounted for half of all new non-agricultural jobs added in this period. The “Make in India” campaign aims to generate 100 million jobs by 2022 in the manufacturing sector. While the goal is laudable, given trends reported above, this seems unlikely to materialise. And Amit Shah’s statement, referred to earlier, seems to indicate that backpedaling on this issue has started already.

Jobless growth plagues India