Indian Economy and Development Challenges

Study Notes

Employment Challenges in India

The question of decent employment has been a central concern in development policy debates in India and globally.
Improving the quality of employment, including rising wages and access to social security, is a key concern for state policy.

Employment Trends in Uttar Pradesh

The state has experienced significant inter-regional and intra-regional differences in employment outcomes.
Despite economic growth of over 6% since the 1980s, employment generation has been mixed.
The development experience of Uttar Pradesh has been encouraging, but the state still lags behind other states in India.

Challenges in Uttar Pradesh

Expanding economic opportunities for employment generation.
Empowering poor and marginalized groups to take advantage of new opportunities.
Ensuring an effective safety net to reduce vulnerability and protect the poor.

Labour Market Features in Uttar Pradesh

The state has a significant shift from agriculture to non-farm employment, but at a slow pace.
Construction emerged as a major employer after agriculture, providing largely low-quality employment.
Most additional jobs created in the non-farm sector were casual in nature.
The growth scenario of male and female employment differed significantly in Uttar Pradesh.
The incidence of unemployment among graduate females is more than double the national average.
The average daily wages of casual labor are much lower than the national average.

Income Inequality and Poverty

The slow pace of growth in wages of SC/STs indicates widening income inequality.
The increasing share of these workers in the lowest income quintile contributes to poverty persistence.

Key Priorities for Uttar Pradesh

Skill development initiatives will remain key priorities for the state.
The demand-side scenario of the labor market has been constrained by slow pace of investment in labor-intensive manufacturing.
The micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSMEs) face several problems, such as a lack of working capital, insufficient space, and power shortages.

Description

This quiz assesses your understanding of poverty reduction in urban areas and among SC/STs, as well as the obstacles to achieving economic and social development in India. It also explores the trend of employment in Uttar Pradesh.