Modi sets target of 1m govt jobs in 18 months
NEW DELHI: All ministries and departments must take measures in a “mission mode” to provide employment to one million people in the next 18 months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered on Tuesday after reviewing the status of human resources in government establishments, in an announcement that is clearly aimed at boosting employment at a time when high inflation is threatening a fledgling economic recovery.
“PM @narendramodi reviewed the status of human resources in all departments and ministries and instructed that recruitment of 10 lakh (1 million) people be done by the government in mission mode in next 1.5 years,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a tweet.
“Giving opportunities to the young in public administration is welcome,” finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted immediately after the announcement.
The recruitment drive will provide jobs to people at a time when global economies, including India’s, are facing headwinds due to high inflation triggered by soaring crude oil prices and squeezed supply chains due to the war in Ukraine. According to the 2020-21 periodic labour force survey (PLFS), the unemployment rate in India was 4.2%. This number has come down in every PLFS round from 6.1% in 2017-18, 5.8% in 2018-19 and 4.8% in 2019-20. Private analysts Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy put the latest unemployment rate estimates at 7.12% as on May, 2022.
“The drive will not entail any massive outgo from the budget because about nine lakh (900,000) sanctioned jobs are still vacant,” an official working in an economic ministry said, requesting anonymity. “Besides, it is an expenditure to create value for the economy and drive growth.” The finance minister did not immediately respond to an query on the financial implications of the drive. There were 872,243 regular civilian vacancies in various central ministries and departments on March 1, 2020, Jitendra Singh, junior minister for personnel, said.