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Aditi Tandon in New Delhi
The recently leaked National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data on jobs has triggered a massive debate around the reality of employment scenario in the country. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the ruling BJP which is seeking a re-election. While NITI Aayog has dismissed the data which pointed out that India’s unemployment rate is at a 45-year high saying it’s based on unofficial estimates, the Congress-led opposition has decided to flag unemployment as PM Modi’s major failure.
Conversations with a cross section of youngsters reveal most see unemployment as a continuing challenge and don’t feel the scenario is worsening. Some believe the situation is improving. Ayush Kumar, a Pune-based banker and a first time voter, says he’s hiring more than before. “Youngsters from even remote parts of Maharashtra are getting absorbed in plum jobs. We have jobs. The issue is of candidate’s suitability. That’s a skills issue. So far as the industry goes, it’s expanding. Five global banking brands — Barclays, Northern Trust, Credit Suiss, UBS and Citi — opened branches in Pune in the last three years. This means they trust India’s skilled resources. It also means improved ease of doing business.” Asked what issues would influence his voting behaviour, Kumar says he is concerned about India’s global image.
“I will weigh which party can market India’s potential better. Also which party can make my life easier. For instance, paying bills, booking gas cylinders has become easier these days. I can do these things digitally too. Banking regulations have also improved and cash flow has been restricted,” he notes.
For students, reservation policy is a larger issue than employability. According to Anandita (20), a B. Com student from Punjab, there are jobs but these don’t essentially yield expected incomes. Academics needs a vocational tilt, she says, adding that, “I have issues with various quotas. We must help the less privileged but not at the cost of merit.”
A broad sense on the job issue is that employing India’s growing workforce (65 per cent Indians are below 35 years) is daunting for any government. Search for jobs continues to drive migration trends. That holds good even today.
Umesh Kumar (29) migrated from UP to Delhi when he was 20. “I didn’t want to be a farmer like my father. Farm sector is saturated. I am a security guard here and I am comfortable. Jobs have always been a problem. But I see more government posts advertised now. I also hear of lesser bribes being paid to get those jobs. The problem is few posts and too many seekers,” says Kumar. His friend Arya Singh from Punjab, adds, “What’s new about this question? There has always been lack of jobs.” His friend Salim Khan (25), who runs a tea kiosk, says, the job market is improving. He remembers the shock of demonetisation but adds, “It was temporary. We are back to business.”
Many first-generation entrepreneurs identify with the PM’s “entrepreneurship” pitch. Jammu-based Sandeep Bakshi, a B Tech in civil engineering, says, “My friend and I started our firm after getting a degree. Last year, I started my own firm. Setting up a business has become easier. It took us five months for registration clearances of our first company. I got the same clearances now within a month. This is thanks to digitisation. I don’t need to bribe the labour inspectors. GST has helped young entrepreneurs like me,” says Bakshi.
One of the pitfalls of creation and availability of jobs in less developed states is that now lesser number of people are migrating from these states in search of jobs. Construction business owners say they are increasingly finding it hard to get cheap labour from Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. “Labour is not coming. They say they have jobs at home,” construction specialist Vijay Kumar says.
Aditya Manubarwala (23), a young lawyer in Delhi, says, he’s optimistic about the kind of job market the BJP is trying to create. “The PM is pitching for a long-term self-sustaining job market by promoting entrepreneurship. He was criticised for stray comments on “pakoras” but what he meant was that Indians should become job creators rather than job seekers. It explains the government’s thrust on Mudra loans, Start up India and Skill India. Moreover, jobs in the tertiary sector are hard to map. But had demonetisation wrecked the job market, as it argued, I would imagine automobiles and commodities sales to dip. That hasn’t happened,” says Manubarwala, adding that the Congress’ Nyay scheme had the potential to negatively the affect the economy in the long run. “NREGA gave money against labour. Nyay promises free money. Wouldn’t people undervalue their income to get freebies? This could be disastrous,” he fears.
Across sectors, youngsters say they prefer experimenting with self-sustaining jobs because the formal job sector can only offer so much.
Prerna Jain (22) has started her own firm after completing her architecture studies. “There is a clear shift among my peers towards entrepreneurship. I could have found a job but I started my own firm. I hope to employ others soon,” she says.