Letter to editor on youth employment and national integration
Answers
The editor,
Economic Times Mumbai,
In ancient times, India was divided in many small Kingdoms and the kings of these Kingdoms were engaged in fighting with each other for political power. But there was not the issue of religion. In the last century when British was ruling over India and the Indian people began their movement against the British ruler for the freedom of their motherland. The ruler tried to disturb the national integration of our country by applying the ‘divide and rule’ policy to curb the movement. In pursuance of that policy they began to show their favor alternatively to this community or that. In this way they had sown the seeds of misunderstanding and jealousy in the minds of the people.
National integration is the feeling of togetherness or oneness towards one’s own country irrespective of their individual differences with regard to religion, region, race, culture or caste.
India is a multi-racial and multilingual country. These diversities are the feature of India. But the culture of India makes her people feel that they are the children of mother India. India is an excellent example of ‘Unity in Diversity‘. Foreign invasions and conquests from time to time, could not crush the spirit of unity of culture.
An increasing proportion of India’s youth are unemployed. A look at the World Development Indicators data of the World Bank shows that only one in three people in the 15-24 years was employed in 2014. That is a 13 percentage point drop from the 45% employment rate in 1991 when economic reforms were initiated.
To be sure, the population in the 15-24 age group has increased by 45.3% in India between 1990 and 2015, according to data from UN World Population Prospects. So, jobs for this segment have failed to keep pace with the rise in population. That said, the proportion of this age group in the overall population has marginally declined. It was 19
in 1990 and came down to 18.4% last year.
India’s youth employment is also far lower than the 41% global average.
China, a country which India likes to compare itself with, also has a youth employment rate of 51%. However, China has seen a far sharper fall in the proportion of people in the 15-24 age group over the years. In 2015, the figure was 13.4% compared to 21.8% in 1990.
While India still needs to tackle the issue of overall job opportunities, experts say it is this youth segment which poses a bigger concern. Protests for reservations in government jobs in states such as Haryana and Gujarat recently are testament to the fact that a growing percentage of the population is vying for a shrinking pie.
“Lower employment among youth can lead to social unrest and turmoil, besides contributing to lower productivity and loss to society. Formal jobs in the country are declining, and with rising education levels, there is an increasing claim for fewer jobs,” Srivastava added.
A report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released in April this year said that India faces a serious challenge of finding jobs for a growing population over the next 35 years. The report states that between 1991 and 2013, the size of the ‘working age’ population increased by 300 million, of which the Indian economy could employ only 140 million. The report said that by 2050, at least 280 million more people will enter the job market in India.
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To,
The editor,
Economic Times Mumbai,
Respected Sir,
In ancient times, India was divided in many small Kingdoms and the kings of these Kingdoms were engaged in fighting with each other for political power. But there was not the issue of religion. In the last century when British was ruling over India and the Indian people began their movement against the British ruler for the freedom of their motherland. The ruler tried to disturb the national integration of our country by applying the ‘divide and rule’ policy to curb the movement. In pursuance of that policy they began to show their favor alternatively to this community or that. In this way they had sown the seeds of misunderstanding and jealousy in the minds of the people.
National integration is the feeling of togetherness or oneness towards one’s own country irrespective of their individual differences with regard to religion, region, race, culture or caste.
India is a multi-racial and multilingual country. These diversities are the feature of India. But the culture of India makes her people feel that they are the children of mother India. India is an excellent example of ‘Unity in Diversity‘. Foreign invasions and conquests from time to time, could not crush the spirit of unity of culture.
An increasing proportion of India’s youth are unemployed. A look at the World Development Indicators data of the World Bank shows that only one in three people in the 15-24 years was employed in 2014. That is a 13 percentage point drop from the 45% employment rate in 1991 when economic reforms were initiated.
To be sure, the population in the 15-24 age group has increased by 45.3% in India between 1990 and 2015, according to data from UN World Population Prospects. So, jobs for this segment have failed to keep pace with the rise in population. That said, the proportion of this age group in the overall population has marginally declined. It was 19 in 1990 and came down to 18.4% last year.
India’s youth employment is also far lower than the 41% global average.
China, a country which India likes to compare itself with, also has a youth employment rate of 51%. However, China has seen a far sharper fall in the proportion of people in the 15-24 age group over the years. In 2015, the figure was 13.4% compared to 21.8% in 1990.
While India still needs to tackle the issue of overall job opportunities, experts say it is this youth segment which poses a bigger concern. Protests for reservations in government jobs in states such as Haryana and Gujarat recently are testament to the fact that a growing percentage of the population is vying for a shrinking pie.
“Lower employment among youth can lead to social unrest and turmoil, besides contributing to lower productivity and loss to society. Formal jobs in the country are declining, and with rising education levels, there is an increasing claim for fewer jobs,” Srivastava added.
A report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released in April this year said that India faces a serious challenge of finding jobs for a growing population over the next 35 years. The report states that between 1991 and 2013, the size of the ‘working age’ population increased by 300 million, of which the Indian economy could employ only 140 million. The report said that by 2050, at least 280 million more people will enter the job market in India.
Thank you
Yours Sincerely
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