The only economic or social variable that has not moved since 1991 in India is our 93% informal employment in the informal sector. So, while we have smartly and substantially moved the needle on everything from foreign exchange reserves, infant mortality, school enrolment, market capitalisation, foreign investment, and pregnancy deaths, 9 out of 10 of our workers do not work in organised employment. Informal employment—what President Alan Garcia of Peru...

In recent years, the agricultural growth rate has tended to be lower than the population growth rate. This year, the former is nearing the target of 4%. But we still have a very large percentage of undernourished children, women and men. Poverty and destitution also remain stubborn. The Indian food security enigma rises from the mismatch between the grain mountains and the hungry millions. What are the prospects for ensuring...

The Labour Bureau recently released its first report on employment in the country. Till now, job estimates have usually been available in the employment-unemployment surveys of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO). The most recent of these is the 64th round (2007-08), preliminary results of which were reported in this column on 20 July. The 64th round estimates were disappointing, with annual employment growth during 2004-05 and 2007-08 at 0.8...

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said that the country targets to create 50 crore skilled manpower by 2020 to become an economic superpower. "We are focussing at skill development to get demographic dividend from our huge young population. In the next 10 years a 50 crore skilled workforce will be created," he said at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Scholar School in Bagnan here in Howrah district. Two-thirds of...

Renowed agri scientist, M.S.Swaminathan today said Indian agriculture will receive a big boost if the country takes advantage of its young population and woos them into the farm sector by making it lucrative. “India has a big advantage as more than half of its population is below 30 years of age”, he said. “If we tap this huge demographic dividend by making agriculture exciting for the younger generation a far better result...