Parliament proceedings | MP draws attention to unemployment levels

New Delhi: A student holding a post-graduate degree in mathematics was getting the job of a sweeper at the Municipal Corporation in Chennai, a Lok Sabha member said on Monday, as he sought to know steps taken by the government to deal with the unemployment situation in the country.

During the Question Hour, DMK leader A. Raja also referred to a person, who had trained as a mechanical engineer and held an MBA, getting the job of a ‘khalasi’ (helper) in the Railways.

The Lower House was discussing the issue of registered unemployed persons in the country.

Mr. Raja stated that the unemployment rate was at a 45-year-high.

Congress MP Adoor Prakash sought to know whether there was a large increase in the number of registered unemployed persons in the country.

Labour and Employment Minister Santos Kumar Gangwar stated, “The number of job seekers, all of whom may not necessarily be unemployed, registered on live register of employment exchanges in the country to the extent available is 4.35 crore, 4.34 crore and 4.24 crore during the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively.”