Lok Sabha Question No. 1118 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-10
Subject: Employment Status of Reserved Categories
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Devesh Shakya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1118

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025

## EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF RESERVED CATEGORIES

## 1118.   SHRI DEVESH SHAKYA:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is a huge increase in the number of urban and rural unemployed persons in the country during the last ten years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of numerical ratio of unemployment among  the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) in the State of Uttar Pradesh during the last ten years;
- (c) the details of steps taken by the Government  to eliminate unemployment given the said ratio;
- (d) the measures being undertaken by the Government to expedite the process  of  recruitment  given  the  inequality  in  the  avenues  of employment; and
- (e) whether there exists any policy in the Government departments to deal with the issue of unemployment, if so, the details thereof and if not, the time by which it is likely to be introduced?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a)  to  (e):  The  data  on  Employment  and  Unemployment  is  collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) which is conducted by the Ministry  of  Statistics  and  Programme  Implementation  (MoSPI)  since 2017-18. The survey period is July to June every year.

As  per  the  latest  available  Annual  PLFS  Reports,  the  estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status  for  persons  of  age  15  years and above has declined from 5.3% to 2.5% in rural area and from 7.7% to 5.1% in urban areas during the years 2017-18 to 2023-24.

As per latest PLFS report, Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR) indicating employment and Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status including in the State of Uttar Pradesh for different social groups i.e. Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled  Tribes  (STs)  and  Other  Backward  Classes  (OBCs),  are  as follows:

| in (%)       | in (%)   | in (%)   | in (%)   | in (%)   | in (%)   | in (%)   |
|--------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Social Group | Survey   | Survey   | Survey   | Period   | Period   | Period   |
|              | 2017-18  | 2017-18  | 2017-18  | 2023-24  | 2023-24  | 2023-24  |
|              | LFPR     | WPR      | UR       | LFPR     | WPR      | UR       |
| SC           | 37.6     | 35.2     | 6.3      | 45.1     | 43.6     | 3.3      |
| ST           | 41.8     | 40.0     | 4.3      | 53.0     | 52.0     | 1.9      |
| OBC          | 36.2     | 34.1     | 6.0      | 44.4     | 43.0     | 3.1      |

Above table indicates that for different social groups LFPR and WPR has increased during the years 2017-18 to 2023-24, while UR has decreased during the same period.

In so far as the employment  opportunities  in the Central Government is concerned, reservation is provided to Scheduled Castes (SCs),  Scheduled  Tribes  (STs),  Other  Backward  Classes  (OBCs)  and Economically  Weaker  Sections  EWS  @  15%,  7.5%,  27%  and  10% respectively in civil posts and services to be filled by direct recruitment on all India basis by open competition. As regards the vacant posts in the  Government,  it  is  stated  that  occurrence  and  filling  up  of  vacant posts,  including  reserved  category  vacancies  in  various  Ministries/ Departments is a continuous process.

Employment generation coupled with improving employability is the priority of the Government. Accordingly, the Government of India has taken various steps for generating employment in the country.

Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment,  Government  of India is striving to uplift and empower disadvantaged and marginalized sections of the society, particularly the SC and OBC Community. A first of  its  kind,  Venture  Capital  Fund  for  Scheduled  Castes  (VCF-SC)  was launched by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in 2014-2015. A similar scheme for backward classes (VCF-BC) was launched in 20172018. Financial support from Rs l0 lakh to Rs 15 Crores is provided under VCF-SC  and  VCF-BC  at  coupon  rate  of  4%  and  6%  respectively.  The scheme is applicable PAN India.

The schemes inter-alia, aim to provide concessional finance to Schedule Caste and Backward Classes entrepreneurs, who will create wealth  and  value  for  society  and  at  the  same  time  will  promote  their profitable businesses, which also enhances direct and indirect employment generation for these communities.

Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment  is  also  implementing  the 'Welfare  of  SC/ST  jobseekers  Scheme'  through  the  network  of  25 National  Career  Service  Centres  for  SC/ST  (NCSC-SC/STs)  across  the country to  enhance the employability of  SC/ST  jobseekers  through  pre recruitment training, vocational guidance, career counselling and computer training etc. with a view to prepare them to meet the demands of the labour market.

The various Ministries/ Departments of Government of India like Ministry of Micro,  Small &  Medium  Enterprises,  Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry  of  Textile,  Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information  Technology etc. are implementing different employment generation schemes/ programmes  like  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme (PMEGP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme  (MGNREGS),  Pt.  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyaya  Grameen  Kaushalya Yojana  (DDU-GKY),  Rural Self Employment  and  Training  Institutes (RSETIs),    Deen  Dayal  Antodaya  Yojana-National  Urban  Livelihoods Mission  (DAY-NULM),  Pradhan  Mantri  Mudra  Yojana  (PMMY),    etc. including increase in capital expenditure to boost employment creation. The  details  of  various  employment  generation  schemes/programmes being  implemented  by  the  Government  of  India  may  be  seen  at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes\_programmes

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