Lok Sabha Question No. 323 (STARRED), answered on 2017-08-09
Subject: Increase in Unemployment
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: ELUMALAI VELLAIGOUNDER

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*323 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2017

## INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT

*323. SHRI V. ELUMALAI:

- (a) whether  unemployment  is  increasing  in  the  country  due  to  the  decline  in
- Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state: productivity; (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the remedial steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF HOUSING & URBAN AFFAIRS

(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

- (a)  to (c):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 323 FOR ANSWER ON 09.08.2017 FROM SHRI V. ELUMALAI REGARDING 'INCREASE IN UNEMPLOYMENT'.

(a) to (c):  The average GDP growth rate of 7.5% per year during the last three years suggests increase in productivity of enterprises as also increased employment opportunities in the country. However, the existing datasets which suffer from time lag, limited  scope  and  coverage  do  not  capture  the  changes  in  complexities  of  labour market  trends  on  either  annual,  half-yearly  or  quarterly  basis.  To  improve  the availability of regular data a Task Force was set up under the Chairmanship of Vice Chairman,  NITI  Aayog.  The  report  which  is  in  public  domain  for  comments recommends

-  Conduct of Annual household surveys and a time-use survey;
-  Annual  Enterprise  Survey  using  enterprises  registered  with  the  Goods  and Services Tax Network (GSTN);
-  Administrative data from various government schemes that create jobs and can be potentially exploited to collect data on certain category of workers.

The Government through various targeted programmes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Prime Minister's Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP),  Pradhan  Mantri  MUDRA  Yojana, Deendayal  Antyodaya  Yojana-National  Rural  Livelihood  Mission  (DAY-NRLM)  and National  Urban  Livelihood  Mission  (DAY-NULM),  Startup  India,  Standup  India  is stimulating  creation  of  wage/self-employment.  Programmes  such  as  Deen  Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana are enhancing the employability of the labour force to access job opportunities. Besides these initiatives, flagship programmes of the Government such as Make in India, Digital India, Swachh Bharat Mission, Smart City Projects, Housing for All, Infrastructure development, Industrial corridors, Sagar Mala and major reforms like Goods &Services Tax have the potential to generate productive employment opportunities.

Direct intervention schemes such as the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS)  wherein  Government  reimburses  25  percent  of  the  stipend  payable  to apprentices  enhances  employability  of  the  youth  to  access  employment.  Further, Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) incentivizes industry to promote employment generation wherein Government reimburses employer's contribution of 8.33% EPS made to new employees.

Besides this, the National Career Service (NCS) portal also provides a nation-wide online platform for jobseekers and employers for job matching in a dynamic, efficient and responsive manner.

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