*NEW DELHI: *Asad Ahmed, one of about 1.2 million young Indians enteringthe cutthroat job market each month, diligently scribbles notes at acomputer class in New Delhi.
While nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a new five-year termpromising to step up his campaign for a “new India”, 18-year-old Ahmed ispessimistic about getting a new job.
“There are so many people in Delhi and the competition is intense,” saidAhmed, dressed like the other students in a black-and-white uniform at thethree-month community course run in a police station in Old Delhi. “I knowthis stint may not be enough for me to get a job but I am trying my best.”
Modi came to power in 2014 promising jobs, but delivering on that has beena challenge. And as soon as the election euphoria settles, Modi’sgovernment will have to find ways to boost investment and revivemanufacturing to create new jobs.
Like Ahmed, most of the other 60 students at the government-sponsored“skill development” classes at the Old Delhi police station, all from poorfamilies, were also apprehensive.
Nudrat Akram, 19, signed up for the course because her family could notafford to pay for higher education.
“I want a job in the retail sector where I can earn 10,000 rupees ($143) amonth,” Akram said, as she practised speaking English with pretendcustomers.
*More jobs, more debt*
India’s conservative prime minister came to power in 2014 on a pro-businessplatform, promising to create 10 million jobs a year. The world’sfastest-growing major economy has grown about 7 percent a year since, butjobs have been elusive.
The promise was barely mentioned in Modi’s triumphant re-election campaign.
Nearly two-thirds of India’s 1.3 billion population are of working age,between 15 and 64, but an increasing number are in the unemployed list.
No official data has been released for more than two years but a recentleaked report – denied by the government – put the unemployment rate at a45-year high of 6.1 per cent. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, aprivate research firm, estimates the jobless rate rose to 7.6 per cent inApril.
“The economy is going to be a huge problem. The government simply cannotcreate jobs for millions entering the workforce,” said political analystParsa Venkateshwar Rao. “Modi will rely on businesses but they are alsostruggling so he has a real problem on his hands.”
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*‘Not easy to survive’*
Unemployment is particularly dire for women.
A Deloitte consultancy report inMarch said female labour force participation fell to 26 per cent in 2018from 36 per cent in 2005 because of poor education and socio-economicbarriers.
The manifesto of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promised a$1.4-trillion infrastructure boost to create jobs if it won the election.It offered metro trains for 50 cities and to double the national highwaynetwork.
But analysts say the government, which has drastically increased its debtover the past five years, will have to borrow huge new amounts to pay forthe works.
In 2015, Modi launched a Skill India programme aiming to train 500 millionpeople by 2022. But the results have been mixed. The 60 students at thegovernment-sponsored ‘skill development’ classes are all from poor families.
According to 2018 data, only a quarter of people who joined the schemefound jobs.
“The Skill India mission has not had as much success as say the highwayprogramme,” said economist Arvind Virmani. “The real crisis is about jobskills and basic education.”
India’s rural jobs guarantee programme offers work to about 70 millionpeople at a minimum wage for 100 days a year, but there is no equivalentfor the growing numbers of urban youth.
Experts say the government must consider an urban employment guaranteescheme in order to reap the true benefit of its economic growth.
At the Delhi classes, 18-year-old Sehar, who uses one name, is worriedabout helping her poor family, including four younger sisters. Her father,who works at a hospital, is the only earner. “I am the eldest and I want tohelp my family, it’s not easy to survive in this city.” -APP/AFP
