Lok Sabha Question No. 1963 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-09
Subject: Unemployment Statistics
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1963

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 9 TH  MARCH, 2016

## UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICS

## 1963. SHRI PONGULETI SRINIVASA REDDY:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether as per the study conducted on "Employment and Unemployment Situation Among Major Religious Groups in India", the Hindus and Christians are the lowest in employment and suffering from unemployment problems;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken/to be taken by the Government to address the problem?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  MINISTRY  OF STATISTICS  AND  PROGRAMME  IMPLEMENTATION  AND  MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GENERAL (Dr.) V.K. SINGH (Retd.)]

- (a) and  (b): National  Sample  Survey  Office  (NSSO)  has  been conducting quinquennial employment-unemployment surveys to measure  employment-unemployment  related  indicators.  Based  on these  surveys,  NSSO  inter-alia  estimates  Worker  Population  Ratio (WPR)  and  Unemployment  Rate  (UR)  among  different  religious groups.  Last  survey  on  employment-unemployment was conducted during  NSS  68 th   round  (July,  2011  -  June,  2012).  Based  on  this survey,  a  statement  showing  Worker  Population  Ratio  (WPR)  and Unemployment  Rate  (UR)  according  to  usual  status  among  major religious groups is given in the statement at Annexure-I.
- (c): Government has taken various steps for generating employment in  the  country,  like  encouraging  private  sector  of  economy,  fast tracking various projects involving substantial  investment  and

increasing  public  expenditure  on  schemes  like  Prime  Minister's Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP),  Mahatma  Gandhi National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGA),  Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM).

Government  has  also  decided  to  strategically  promote  labourintensive  manufacturing  and  expand  employment  opportunities  by promoting tourism and agro-based industries.

New  schemes  have  also  been  launched  which  includes  Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and Swatchh Bharat Mission (Gramin), and Seekho  aur  Kamao  Scheme  launched  for  the  skill  development  of minority communities.

A new Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has been established  to  coordinate  the  skill  activities  across  Ministries.  In order to improve the employability of youth, around 20 Ministries run skill development schemes across 70 sectors. According to the data compiled by National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), about 76.11 lakh persons were given skill development training in the year 201415 (upto March, 2015) under these schemes.

Annexure-I Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) and (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1963 for 09.03.2016 *****

|                                            | Major Religious Groups   | Major Religious Groups   | Major Religious Groups   | Major Religious Groups   | Major Religious Groups   | Major Religious Groups   |
|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| Indicators                                 | Hindu                    | Muslim                   | Christian                | Sikh                     | Others                   | All                      |
| Worker Population Ratio (WPR) (in percent) | 39.5                     | 32.8                     | 40.5                     | 40.3                     | 42.8                     | 38.6                     |
| Unemployment Rate (UR) (in percent)        | 2.0                      | 3.1                      | 5.0                      | 1.8                      | 1.9                      | 2.3                      |

*****