Farm News
Bamboo bonanza for small farmers
…Personal stories of success with lathi bamboo abound. K.C. John, a bamboo enthusiast in Palakkad district, calls it the “small farmer’s ATM,” because of how easily it can be turned into cash. “In Kerala, where land for farming is scarce, the kind of income this bamboo can generate is unparalleled,” he says. “Whenever a farmer requires money, he has to just call up the buyer. He will come, fix the price, cut the bamboo and make the payment on the spot.”
Employment News
Contractual labour on rise in 9 major non-farm sectors, shows govt data
Nearly every one in five workers employed in the organised non—farm establishments in the first half of FY23 was a contractual hire, according to the latest Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) results released by the Labour Bureau. According to the report released on Tuesday, the share of contractual employees in the nine major non—farm sectors of the economy more than doubled to nearly 18 per cent in first half (April- September) of FY23 from nearly 8.5 per cent inQ2 of FY22.
Why India’s prestigious IITs are struggling to place graduates
The rapid expansion of IITs, points out Nihar Ghosh, another HR leader, might be a double-edged sword. “Sure, access to education has increased,” he says, “but the quality might not be the same across all campuses.” Attracting top faculty, especially for newer IITs, remains a challenge, impacting the overall educational experience. Even established IITs struggle to retain their best professors.
India’s private sector activity in May sees 3rd strongest increase since 2010; job creation at 18-year high: Report
India's private sector activity experienced a significant surge in May, marking the third strongest increase since July 2010, according to preliminary results from a private survey released on Thursday. The survey also revealed the most substantial rise in employment in nearly 18 years.
No ‘surge in employment’
Claims about rising employment continue to grow without supportive evidence. Unemployed youth are so disheartened they are turning to drugs, addiction to which is growing across north India and not just in Punjab. National Crime Records Bureau data shows that in 2018, three unemployed youth committed suicide every two hours; in 2022, it increased to two suicides per hour. Yet the claim of a “surge in employment” continues to mount during elections.
8 crore MGNREGS workers deleted in 2 yrs. Centre’s Budget cuts, tech push to blame — NGO report
New Delhi: Over eight crore registered workers were deleted from the Centre’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MGNREGS) in the past two years, with 20.47 percent deleted in the financial year 2022-23 — the highest in the past five years — according to a report by civil society organisations LibTech India and NREGA Sangharsh Morcha released May 28.
Tea workers' union seeks MGNREGS safety net from Mamata Banerjee government
In a letter to Mamata, the National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW), which is affiliated with INTUC, has said that workers of several tea estates of the Terai and the Dooars are not getting work for six days every week because of low yield in plantations hit by inclement weather
Women in the Workforce
Shortage of nurses in India, their emigration for jobs abroad cause of worry: Experts
With 1.96 nurses per 1,000 population, India falls short of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended rate of three nurses per 1,000 population. NEW DELHI: India already faces a poor nurse-population ratio and the situation is set to worsen with nurses emigrating to other countries in large numbers, doctors and medical experts have observed, noting this creates a big gap in addressing the country's healthcare needs. The experts issued a joint statement here, expressing concerns over the shortage of nurses in the country.
Female train drivers demand Railway Board to follow Maternity Benefit Act
Female train drivers have demanded the Railways Board to transfer pregnant female frontline workers to lighter or stationary jobs under the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017. It came after several women employees suffered miscarriages while attending duties. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act prohibits an employer from engaging a pregnant woman in a job of an arduous nature as it can interfere with her pregnancy.
Turning a New Leaf, These Odisha Women Make Eco-Friendly Practices a Habit
They make siali and sal leaf plates and bowls, besides enforcing the ban on single-use plastic in their villages located in Nayagarh district.
Migrant Realities
Migrant workers rue survey delay, urge government to ensure job security, adequate salary and other benefits.
“I repair forklifts. It is risky in terms of personal and job safety. There is no official contract with the company. I am poorly paid. The government should carry out a proper survey of migrant workers and take action to ensure job security, adequate salary and other benefits,” Kumar said. The data on the work profile of migrant workers in the country is not available with the government, thanks to the delay in completing a key survey by the Union labour ministry.
Wary Jharkhand labourers back home after facing attacks in unrest-hit Manipur
Lured by better pay in Manipur, labourers are returning en masse out of fear, after an attack killed one of them and injured two others in Imphal. This is the first such attack on non-locals in Manipur reported since the ethnic conflict in the State began.
How a Kerala district helped migrant workers’ kids excel in school
Shivraj, a student of St George's High School, Vennikkulam, is among several children of migrant workers in Kerala who had been part of Ernakulam district’s ROSHNI scheme, aimed at helping them overcome the language barrier and learn Malayalam, English, and Hindi. Pradeep Mohite, a migrant worker from Maharashtra, beams with pride as he talks about his son’s class 10 results released last week. Shivraj Mohite studies in a Malayalam-medium school in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, and scored A+ in all his subjects.
Labour Demands
CITU questions delay in publishing consumer price index for industrial workers
Tapan Sen alleged that neither Labour Bureau nor Labour Ministry has come out with an explanation for not releasing and publishing the indices on the stipulated dates
In the Courts
TN Industrial Establishments Act | Permanent Status Can't Be Denied To Workmen Who Worked Uninterruptedly For 480 Days In 24 Months : Supreme Court
In a recent decision relating to the grant of permanent status to the workmen employed in the industrial establishments in the State of Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court held that the TN Medical Services Corporation could not deny the permanent status to the workmen if they have worked consecutively for more than 480 days in a period of twenty-four calendar months…
AI and Jobs
Industry 4.0: Uttar Pradesh govt to equip future workforce with AI
Since the AI spend in India is projected to hit $5 billion by 2027, the Yogi Adityanath government is looking to tap the growing sector for job creation, self-employment, and catalysing startups. State’s Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IBM for free online courses in such programmes across more than 500 affiliated colleges.
Travails of Fisherfolk
Delhi’s fishermen are battling a dying Yamuna and govt apathy. ‘What good is a licence?’
For all the effort to reclaim their identity, fishing is no longer a viable means to earn a living. Some have started to sell their catch on WhatsApp or showcase their skills online.
Jobseekers
Election in Pincodes: In Rohtak, employment dreams take centre stage in poll season
One Monday morning, five friends are sitting on a bench under a tree at the MDU campus in Rohtak. Four already have MA degrees, graduating between 2019 and 2021, and one of them, Anil Kathurwal, is now pursuing a PhD in politics. What drove his decision was academic interest, he said. But a sheepish smile betrays another factor. This group of five always wanted to be teachers… “In every home in Haryana, there is pride when someone has a government job. But for the past five years, there have been no state government vacancies.”
Amid job drought, youth left with degrees of despair
Manju (26) and Ashish Balhara had their future mapped out wh en they tied the knot three years ago in Rohtak’s Bahu Akbarpur village. Both were certain their qualifications — Manju is an MSc (maths) and a BEd, and Ashish has an MBA degree — would land them govt jobs. Neither found one.
Meagre Wages
“I am seething with anger”: A decade of stagnation in rural wages
On most days, he wonders about dehadi--daily wage rate--like people wonder about the weather before leaving the house. “There is only work in the farms or at small construction sites,” Singh said. “In the farms we get Rs 300-350 per day. Here it is Rs 500. In the last four years, wages have barely increased by Rs 30-40. I have stopped asking for higher wages. Nobody here will pay more. If I won't work, then somebody else will.” Even as India’s economic growth has been high, real rural wages have stagnated for the last ten years, defying global economic trends and putting a question mark over the quality of growth.
Election Issues
Agnipath faces ballot test in jawan heartland
Almost every political party campaigning in the state is promising to end this scheme, if voted to office, and reinstate the old pattern of recruitment that provides pension on completion of 15-year service.
At Jharkhand migrant crisis Ground Zero, amid Soren vs Soren, a refrain: ‘Workers fall through cracks in polls’
As Jharkhand’s Dumka Lok Sabha seat gets set to vote in the seventh and final phase of polling on June 1, there would be several “missing” electors in the families of migrant labourers across the constituency – including Maikil Marandi, Ravinder Rai, Bhairo Mirdha, Mahtab Ansari and Salamat Ansari, who died while working in different parts of the country in recent years.
Distressed Workers
Why is this Padma Shri winner toiling as a manual labourer?
In 2022, kinnera maestro Darshanam Mogulaiah had a hit Tollywood song, a Padma Shri and a ₹1 crore cash prize from the government. Two years later, he is struggling to make ends meet