Lok Sabha Question No. 2504 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-04
Subject: Employment in Bundelkhand
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri Narayandas Ahirwar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2504

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 04 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## EMPLOYMENT IN BUNDELKHAND

## 2504.   SHRI NARAYANDAS AHIRWAR:

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

- (a) whether the unemployment rate in Bundelkhand region is higher than the national average and the main reason for the rapidly increasing migration among the youth as there is lack of livelihood, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the efforts made by the Government to create permanent and local employment opportunities in the Bundelkhand region;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to bring any special scheme to promote agro-based industries, small and cottage industries and self-employment in the said region and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  take  any  concrete  initiative  to strengthen  employment  offices  in  every  district  of  Bundelkhand  and connect  the  youth  with  skill  development  programmes  and  if  so,  the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (d)  The  official  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.

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 decreased from 6.0% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24. Further, Unemployment Rate  (UR)  on  usual  status  for  persons  of  age  15  years  and  above  in  Uttar Pradesh  and  Madhya  Pradesh -including  Bundelkhand  region  has  decreased from 6.2% in 2017-18 to 3.1% in 2023-24 and 4.3% in 2017-18  to 1.0% in 2023-24 respectively.

Government  is  implementing  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation Programme  (PMEGP)  under  the  administrative  control  of  Ministry  of  MSME through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), for assisting entrepreneurs in setting up of new micro-enterprises including cottage industries involved in activities such as agro-based food processing, beekeeping, textiles, leather, etc in the country including Bundelkhand region.

Employment  generation  coupled  with  improving  employability  for  all including  Bundelkhand  region  is  a  priority  of  the  Government.  Accordingly, Government is implementing various employment generation schemes/programmes. These inter-alia include Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS),  Deendayal  Antyodaya  YojanaNational Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen  Kaushalya  Yojana  (DDU-GKY),  Rural  Self  Employment  and  Training Institutes (RSETIs), Deen Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods  Mission  (DAYNULM),  PM  Street  Vendor's  AtmaNirbhar  Nidhi  (PM SVANidhi), Stand-up India Scheme, Start Up India , Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY),  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  (PMKVY),  etc.  The  details  of various employment generation schemes/programmes being implemented by the Government may be seen at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes\_programmes.

In  addition,  the  Union  Cabinet  has  approved  the  Employment  Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme to support employment generation, enhance employability and social security across all sectors, with special focus on the manufacturing sector.

Ministry  of  Labour  and  Employment,  Government  of  India  is  running  the National Career Service (NCS) Portal which is a one-stop solution for providing career related services including information on jobs from private and government  sectors,  information  on  online  &  offline  job  fairs,  job  search  & matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, employability enhancement programmes,. etc. through a digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in]..

One of the objectives of the NCS scheme is to transform the employment exchanges to Model Career Centres (MCCs). These centres connect local youth and other job- seekers with job opportunities through use of technology as well as career counselling and training. As such these Model Career Centres (MCCs) act as a hub for organizing job fairs, mobilising the employers, providing career counselling at local level etc. in collaboration with States and other institutions for the jobseekers and employers through outreach activities. Till date, 39 Model Career Centres have been approved in the State of Uttar Pradesh and 13 in the State of Madhya Pradesh including in Bundelkhand region.

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