Since the ’80 million new jobs’ headline elides discussion on the quality of jobs, the government touts the ‘creation’ of these low-productivity, poorly paid jobs as an achievement, he said…reports Asian Lite News
The Congress on Monday countered the Centre’s claim that eight crore new jobs have been created, alleging that the government has done some “artful statistical jugglery” to claim job creation as it has failed to pay attention to the “quality and circumstances” of employment.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that at a time when India faces a “severe Modi-made unemployment crisis”, when lakhs of young people apply for each and every job, “the self-anointed non-biological PM is busy reacting the only way he knows — by applying his patented 3D model of denying, distracting, and distorting”.
He said that based on new RBI estimates, the government is claiming a booming job market.
“The self-appointed divinity himself has chimed in with the claim that the economy created 80 million jobs,” Ramesh said in a statement.
The truth is that the alleged growth in employment figures doesn’t square up to the grim realities of the Modi era economy, where private investment has been weak and consumption growth sluggish, he said.
“The government has done some artful statistical jugglery to claim job-creation, by adopting a very expansive definition of employment, without paying attention to the quality and circumstances of employment: A large part of the claimed ’employment growth’ is just recording unpaid household work done by women as ’employment’,” Ramesh claimed.
“Amidst the poor economic climate, the share of salaried, formal employment in the labour market has decreased. Workers are moving to low-productivity informal and agricultural jobs – this is an economic tragedy,” the Congress leader said.
However, since the ’80 million new jobs’ headline elides discussion on the quality of jobs, the government touts the ‘creation’ of these low-productivity, poorly paid jobs as an achievement, he said.
“This deception is also why the RBI’s data shows an increase in employment during the COVID-19 pandemic years, when large sections of the economy fully shut down. While crucial sectors like education saw 12 lakh fewer jobs in 2020-2021, a whopping 1.8 crore ‘jobs’ were ‘created’ in agriculture,” Ramesh said.
Thus, factory workers, teachers, miners, etc. who returned home during the pandemic and had to fall back upon farming in their family’s fields or as tenants for a richer farmer registered as a “job created” in agriculture, he argued.
“This travesty is the non-biological Prime Minister’s economic legacy,” Ramesh said.
He said the forthcoming Budget will also undoubtedly make use of the RBI data to paint a rosy picture of the economy.
“The reality on the jobs front, however, is extremely grim – both because of mass unemployment and an abundance of low-quality employment. This dual tragedy will certainly get overlooked in the Budget speech next Tuesday,” Ramesh said.
His remarks come after Prime Minister Modi on Saturday emphasised that creation of eight crore new jobs in the last three to four years has “silenced” those spreading fake narratives about unemployment.
BJP MLA urges students to open puncture shop
Known for making controversial statements, Pannalal Shakya, the BJP MLA from Guna in Madhya Pradesh, advised students Monday to open “motorcycle puncture repair shops”, since nothing would be gained by obtaining degrees. This, while addressing an event to inaugurate a ‘PM College of Excellence’.
Earlier, at a function held in Indore on Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had e-inaugurated similar PM College of Excellences in 55 districts of the state. Following this, separate events were held in the respective districts, including Guna, on Monday. The initiative had been announced by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav during his first Cabinet meeting, with the state government taking extra measures to ensure the project took off on time.
“We are opening a PM College of Excellence today. I appeal to everyone to keep one sentence in mind — that nothing is going to be achieved with these college degrees. Instead, open a motorcycle puncture repair shop to at least earn a livelihood,” said Shakya.
The MLA also seemed to take a swipe at the mega sapling plantation drive held in Indore on Sunday, during which a world record 11 lakh-plus saplings were planted in a span of 24 hours, a programme overseen by Madhya Pradesh Minister for Urban Development Kailash Vijayvargiya. “People are planting trees, but not interested in watering them,” Shakya said.
When contacted by The Indian Express, the MLA said, “I did not make any statement against anyone. My statement has been taken out of context.”
An RSS worker most of his life, Shakya was chosen by the BJP as its Guna candidate in the 2023 Assembly elections over supporters of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. This came soon after he urged the party to “not give tickets to bikau (sold) leaders”, and to choose a “tikau (loyal)” leader instead.