Harnessing India's Demographic Dividend: The Case for an Integrated National Employment Policy
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Indian Economy (Demographics, Employment, Labour Reforms - Labour Codes, MSMEs, Gig Economy); Government Schemes.
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Society): Population and associated issues.
General Studies Paper 2 (Governance & Social Justice): Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population; Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
General Studies Paper 3 (Economy): Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment; Inclusive growth.
Essay: A very common and important theme on Employment, Demographic Dividend, and India's Growth Story.
Key Highlights from the News
The opportunity to leverage India's demographic dividend will end by 2043. Therefore, creating high-quality employment opportunities on a large scale must be seen as a national priority.
Current government schemes are fragmented and scattered across various ministries. To address this, the article argues for an Integrated National Employment Policy.
Key considerations for this policy:
Identify labour-intensive sectors like textiles, tourism, and MSMEs that have high employment potential.
Timely implementation of the four Labour Codes.
Introduce a national policy to promote the rapidly growing gig economy and protect its workers.
Formulate special schemes to increase female labour force participation.
Experiment with an urban employment guarantee programme to address urban unemployment.
Improve systems for making real-time employment data available.
The article suggests a decentralized model for implementing this policy, led by District Planning Committees, from the grassroots level.
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