For a country with less jobs, rhetoric will hardly suffice
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According to the figures released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the official body for monitoring the national economy, the country's unemployment rate reached its highest level in the last one and a half years at the end of December. The figure for December increased from 8 percent in November to 8.3 percent. The report says that this is the highest level since August 2021. In December, urban unemployment rose to 10.09 percent from 8.96 percent. In rural areas, the rate decreased slightly. Mahesh Vyas, CEO of CMIE which released the report, says that this is not significant as the labor participation rate has increased to 40.48 percent. At the same time, the fact that in the run-up to assembly elections in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana and the 2024 general elections, the ruling BJP is coming forward with the announcement of free grain distribution scheme and employment programs shows that the government has realized gravity of the situation. Therefore, jugglery will not suffice when the figures confirm the truth in front of the eyes.
The past year witnessed India completing 75 years of independence. The year had a difficult start after being gripped by the epidemic Covid, but the world and the country were gradually freed from the grip of Covid last year. However, even after that, the country's economy has not recovered fully. It is true that the changes caused by the Ukraine war, the subsequent Russian embargo, and fluctuations in oil prices have made the economy vulnerable. However, it must be assumed that the central government has yet to display the commitment to get out of it. The steep growth of government-owned monopolies and the daily decline of the middle and lower classes speaks for that. This serious situation of unemployment should be seen as a tangible proof of it. Even as the country recovers from the plight of Covid, the day-to-day problems of the citizens remain unsolved. Compared to the 2020 figure, CMIE itself says that there was a job deficit of 14 million in October 2022. Two-thirds of it were women. During the term of the Modi government, which promised to create 2 crore more jobs, 14 crore people remain unemployed. 42 percent of 20-24 year olds are unemployed. 2.30 lakh small business units have been closed due to demonetisation alone. With the sale of public sector undertakings, thousands of government jobs have been lost. Beyond all this is the social environment necessary for safe employment. The ruling party and its ranks are destabilizing the country by playing the politics of hate and enmity, which will further destabilize the labor market. It needs to be recognized that the unemployment rate has shot up due to frittering of opportunities through such flawed policies.
The experience of the last decade and a half has been that even with progress in education, the chances of secure employment are diminishing. In India, people between the ages of 15 and 24 make up more than 40 percent of the population. However, CMIE's own report last year says that one out of five people who successfully completes graduation, cannot get a job in the country. Among those who do find employment, India's working hours, working environment and incomes are fueling the trend to relocate abroad. This brain drain tarnishes the image painted by the country's rulers. All this shows that even the basic rights to be guaranteed by the government to the citizenry for their life's security vy controlling inflation and unemployment is being denied. What the people want is to know what the practical way to solve it is, not rhetoric, and what the central government is doing to find and implement it. How is a government going to retain its throne of power in a country whose foundation is being shaken and when the government is watching with inert hands the life and death problems of the people and is looking for other ways to make up its face?
