From a pamphlet published by Eddelu Karnataka
Extreme Unemployment Crisis – Shattered dreams of the youth.
What they promised:
- We will create 2 crore new jobs every year. (This means, in the last 10 years, they should have created 20 crore jobs.)
- We will provide skill training to 40 crore people by 2022 as part of ‘Skill India’ initiative.
- We will ensure more employment opportunities for women.
What really is happening:
- The field of education has been converted into a profit-making business venture. The government has cut down on the budgetary allocation and grants for education, leaving it vulnerable for exploitation by private entities.
- Despite obtaining degrees such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Diploma, ITI (Industrial Training Institute), and Engineering, under great difficulties and after having put their parents under heavy financial burden, millions of youths are struggling to find employment. Dreams of a better life have been shattered.
- Advertisements for Jobs that require only an educational qualification of 10th grade completion, are receiving applications from hundreds of thousands of youths who have done their education up to M.A., B.A., and even Ph.D.
- 50 lakh applications coming through for 16,000 posts In Uttar Pradesh, in 2023, indicates the severity of unemployment.
- Millions of graduates and postgraduates with degrees or double degrees are struggling for guest lecturer positions or even contractual positions with salaries ranging from Rs. 6000 to 12000.
- The unemployment rate in the country, which was at 2.1% ten years ago, has now surged to 8.1%.
- Unemployed youth from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, in particular, are seeking job opportunities by traveling to South India.
- The youth are forced to take any jobs that are not of their choice, far away from home and far from their dreams.
Reasons for this:
- Due to the decline in agriculture, many young people are unable to sustain their livelihoods in villages and are migrating to urban areas in large numbers in search of managing their lives.
- Even in the cities jobs are disappearing fast. In the first five years of the NDA government 2014-2019, 60 lakh government positions were left vacant without being filled. In addition to this, the government refuses to provide accurate statistical information regarding vacant posts. Perhaps the number of unfilled vacancies has doubled now. In all the government departments, a bare minimal skeletal staff is carrying out sloppy work or work is being carried out with the aid of low paid contractual labour. This is part of the Government’s plan to weaken its institutions and hand them over to private companies.
- Every year, 50,000 people used to be recruited into the armed forces. But now, the “Agniveer” scheme has brought a halt to these recruitments. 75% of those recruited by the “Agniveer” scheme”, will become unemployed after four years.
- Small and medium business enterprises and cottage industries have been severely affected. Non-availability of government support, GST, demonetization, the lack of assistance during the COVID period coupled with the inability of these small business enterprises to compete with large corporate enterprises, has led to this situation. The central government is directly responsible for the losses suffered and the consequent closing down of 25% to 33% of medium enterprises and about 40% of small trade. As a result, millions of jobs have been lost.
- The central government is deeply invested in nurturing giant corporations like those belonging to Adani and Ambani. This has resulted in the neglect of its responsibility to create job avenues in the publics sector, and in small and medium business enterprises. As a result, the future the youth are being destroyed.
About Eddelu Karnataka is an independent civil society platform and campaign.It is not affiliated with any political party. Its soul is the thinkers, writers and artists who are the conscience keepers of the nation and democracy. The strength of Eddelu is the combination of organizations and grassroots movements of farmers, workers, Dalits, students, youth, women, LGBTQIA movemnts etc., who have been working selflessly for the welfare of the people for many decades, from various communities (Dalit, Tribal, Tribal, Backward Classes, Vokalinga, Lingayat, minority communities and other exploited sections) and it is a broad civil society.
