Understanding Unemployment Issues in India

Aug 8, 2024

Unemployment in India: Key Insights

Current Status of Unemployment

  • India Employment Report 2024: 1 in 3 youths unemployed.
  • Unemployment rate: 29.1% among graduates.
  • India's population: 1.4 billion; large consumer market exists.
  • High revenues for foreign companies (e.g., PepsiCo: ā‚¹80 billion, Coca-Cola: ā‚¹128 billion).

Questions Raised

  • Why are there no jobs despite a growing economy?
  • Lack of employment opportunities for graduates?

Government's Role

  • Prime Minister Modi promised job creation.
  • Media's fact-checking suggests Modi did not explicitly promise jobs.
  • Haryana has highest unemployment rate at 37.4% despite promises.
  • Make in India campaign: aimed to provide local employment.

Media's Responsibility

  • Media often downplays unemployment issues.
  • Blames citizens for preferring government jobs.
  • Claims of youth being unskilled or lazy.

Education and Job Demand

  • Ministry of Education Report: 28.5 million enrollments annually at higher secondary level.
  • High dropout rates: 12.61% at secondary, 3% at upper primary, and 1.45% at primary levels.
  • College Capacity Issues: Insufficient seats for aspiring students.
    • Medical education: 108,000 MBBS seats for over 2 million applicants (2023).
    • Engineering seats decreasing while vacancies persist.

Quality of Education

  • High fees in private colleges create barriers.
  • Poor quality of education and faculty in many colleges.
  • Infrastructure deficiencies in engineering colleges.
  • Employability Crisis: 80% of engineering graduates are unemployable.

Economic Trends

  • Manufacturing jobs decreased from 51 million (2016) to 36 million (2023).
  • Job market instability post-COVID-19.
  • Major tech firms laying off employees despite profits.
  • Increase in workplace burnout: 62% of Indian employees report exhaustion.

Solutions Proposed

Government Actions

  1. Fill existing job vacancies (950,000+ at central level).
  2. Improve educational infrastructure and create new institutions.
  3. Promote cooperatives and small enterprises for job creation.
  4. Intervene in sectors needing job support, similar to past public sector initiatives.

Individual Actions

  1. Remove gambling and betting apps to refocus energy.
  2. Learn new skills (e.g., cooking, craftsmanship) to explore entrepreneurship.
  3. Consider internships or lower-paying jobs as stepping stones to gain experience.
  4. Explore educational resources for skills in digital fields (YouTube, AI).

Conclusion

  • Unemployment is a multifaceted issue involving education, economic trends, and government action.
  • Individuals must take proactive steps while advocating for systemic changes.