Skip to main content

Jobs, wages, inequity: ‘Guarantee check’ on Govt of India’s claims vs performance

Counterview Desk 

Bahutva Karnataka, a civil rights network* calling itself "forum for justice, harmony and solidarity" claiming to work for "promoting constitutional values", in a report, "Employment, Wages and Inequity", has sought to present official claims of the Government of India, juxtaposing them with evidence from official or other "credible" sources.
Released ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the report says that between 2011-12 and 2022-23, the share of the self-employed in the workforce has risen. "More than half of the men and more than two-thirds of women are presently ‘self-employed’ – a category that includes rural weavers, farmers, potters, urban roadside vendors, tailors, barbers, etc. as well as unpaid workers in small household enterprises", it notes.
It insists, "On the face of it, being self-employed sounds good but in reality, well-paying jobs with social security have shrunk and people are forced to resort to lowpaying self-employment options. Many are exercising this option instead of being in dire hunger or death."

Summary:

All data on employment and wages mentioned in this report are based on publicly available government data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), the now discontinued Employment-Unemployment Survey and the World Inequality Database. The results are representative of 49 crore workers in India.

Employment

Claim
  • Two crore new jobs will be created every year
  • The BJP government’s 2019 manifesto said: We will also encourage industries and corporates to generate better employment opportunities for women.
Reality
  • 42% of graduates under the age of 25 are unemployed.
  • Between 2011-12 to 2022-23, the share of the self-employed in the workforce has risen. More than half of the men and more than two-thirds of women are presently ‘self-employed’. Stagnant household earnings among the poor force more women to work even as unpaid helpers such as working without earnings in family farms or small shops because they cannot find any other remunerative employment.
  • In the last 5 years, women working as unpaid household helpers has risen from 1 in 4 to 1 in 3.
  • Many are exercising this option instead of being in dire hunger or death.

Wages

Claim
  • In their 2019 manifesto, the BJP stated that- “Under our government, there has been a 42% growth in the National Minimum Wage. We will maintain the same direction over the next five years to ensure a respectable living for the workers.”
Reality
  • Wages, in real terms, have stagnated across all the main categories of employment -- regular wage, self-employed and casual labour.
  • An expert committee on wages, initiated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, led by Anoop Satpathy in 2019, said that the national minimum floor wages in India should be at least Rs 375 per day which translates to Rs 3,050 per week in 2022-23.
  • Nearly 30 crore workers earn less than this threshold amount.
  • 9 out of 10 casual wage workers, 3 out of 5 self-employed workers and half of the regular wage workers earn less than this threshold.
  • More than 1 in 3 households are earning less than this minimum amount.

All round development

Claim
  • Sab ka Saath Sab ka Vikaas
Reality
  • In nominal terms, the GDP per capita in the last 10 years has increased by 60%. However, the income share of the top 10% of the population has been increasing and now it is 60% while the incomes of the others is reducing.
  • In 2012, 63% of the national wealth was held by the top 10%. This has increased to 64.5% in 2022. In 2012, the bottom 50% held 6.1% of the national wealth. This has further reduced to 5.6% in 2022.

Moving in the wrong direction

Given the situation where wages have not been increasing, the government should have ideally taken steps towards the following policy measures:
1. Right to food for all
2. Right to employment with living wages and timely payment of wages for all
3. Right to free and quality healthcare
4. Right to free and quality education
5. Right to pension
However, from this year’s budget we have seen that the budget allocations are moving towards the opposite direction . The budget allocation of five major social sector schemes (NREGA, NSAP, Mid-Day Meals, ICDS & PMMVY) has only been 0.40% of the GDP.
---
*Bahutva Karnataka, Domestic Workers Rights Union, Slum Mahila Sanghatane, Data, Democracy and Development, Jagruta Karnataka and All India Central Council of Trade Unions

Comments

Jabir Husain said…
Claim of right-wing on guarantee of job doesnot equate with correct data.

In Ahmedabad, alone, daily average suicide rate is from 1 to 5, mostly due to economic stress, second due to ailments and third due to variety of reasons which provide a comfortable life to a citizen, which doesn't have access.

Mainstream vernacular newspapers and electronic media journalism have failed to mirror (governance).

An ancient Arabic proverb on rhetoric/statement, "There is no tax on language (maafi zakah bil lugat),is rightful in reply to claims.

If psychopancy and myth about phobia and euphoria (majoratarian politics) are not sanitized,with Constitution values, post result of 2024 election, erring Corporates and religious zealots may create an environment like, society might experience (Sri Lanka) symptoms.

Recent legal activism (Apex Temple of Justice), is only hope to survive Constitution, Law, Law Education, Institutes of Law which are imparting Legal education.

Unless, Indian Evidence Act, Monopoly Act and Amassing of Wealth within few (s) it's natural premise is not in sync with expect-ing robust, free 🆓and independent (Taxpayers Mechanism), legacy and honour of Judiciary may fall, therewith!

Pessimism require correct data.

TRENDING

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative  The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani*  India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor*  Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Four J&K MLAs visit Wular lake, pledge support to fisher community, environmental conservation

By Shamim Ahmed*   In a historic meeting that highlighted both environmental and social concerns, four Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) visited Wular Lake to meet with the fisherfolk community, signaling a significant step in addressing their longstanding issues. This gathering, organized with the support of dedicated advocates, marks a strengthening of efforts to both safeguard the lake’s ecosystem and support the community’s welfare.

Supreme Court’s dismissal of PIL on Covid vaccine safety is counter to known science and mathematics

By Bhaskaran Raman*  On 14 Oct 2024, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the side-effects of the Covid vaccine. In 2021, the world saw the rollout of various Covid vaccine candidates. In India, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Serum Institute of India’s Covishield were rolled out. Covishield was nothing but Oxford’s AstraZeneca relabelled in India. The importance of open-minded and scientific probe of Covid vaccine safety In 2020/2021, all Covid vaccines were authorized for emergency use, which meant that the necessary efficacy and safety follow-up was incomplete at that time. The originally approved trials – called randomised controlled trials (RCT) had a “vaccine” group and a “placebo” group for comparison. Such experimental comparison/control is the cornerstone of the scientific method – which even children learn in photosynthesis experiments in class-1. The vaccine trials were scheduled to conclude in late 2022/early 2023. For instance, Covax...

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor*  Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.