Caste in Employment
With Pot Around His Neck and Broom on His Waist, A Retired Railway Employee Stages Unique Protest for Valmiki Community’s Rights in Rajasthan
The man behind this symbolic protest is 60-year-old Prakash Vidrohi, the district president of the All India Valmiki Mahasabha in Jodhpur. Vidrohi has been advocating for prioritizing the Valmiki community in the recruitment process for sanitation workers, a cause he deeply believes in. He argues that the Valmiki community has been carrying out sanitation work for centuries, and therefore, the first right to these jobs belongs to the youth of this community. Depriving them of these opportunities, he warns, will hinder their social mobility, living standards, and educational advancement.
News from States
UP govt clamps ESMA, banning strikes in all depts for 6 months
State BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said a divine and grand Kumbh is going to be held in the state in the coming months and other important programmes have also been proposed. The steps have been taken to ensure the availability of basic facilities to the visiting devotees and residents, Shukla said.
Haryana first Indian state to launch free drone training/skilling programmes
The objective is to empower 140 youth with cutting-edge drone skills and train 210 individuals as agri-input service dealers and in dairy entrepreneurship. The training worth Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000, will. be offered free of cost to eligible youth from Bhiwani, Hisar, Gurugram, Jind, Mewat, Palwal and other districts of Haryana.
Employment News
Employability among Indian graduates improves to 54.81%: Report
A new report reveals Indian graduate employability has risen to 54.81%, up from 51.25% the previous year and 33% a decade ago. This growth is driven by skill development in areas like AI and cloud computing, positioning India as a global talent leader, particularly in IT, engineering, and healthcare, with significant global opportunities emerging.
Centre begins process to recruit 4000 women in CAPF, Assam rifles by 2025
NEW DELHI: With an aim to further enhance the participation of women in paramilitary, the government has worked out a plan to recruit 4,138 lady personnel in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles in 2025, as the BSF is going to have maximum share of 2,419, followed by the CISF (818) and the ITBP (456), officials said on Saturday.
Private Sector: The Missing Key to Unlocking J&K’s Unemployment Crisis
The sobering reality of unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir is starkly reflected in the recent constable recruitment drive, where an overwhelming 5.5 lakh candidates applied for just 4,000 vacancies. This means 137 candidates vied for every single job, highlighting a crisis that goes far beyond government job creation. The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) paints an even grimmer picture. Youth unemployment in urban Jammu and Kashmir stands at 32%, the highest in India. Among women, the unemployment rate soars to a staggering 53.6%, underscoring significant gender disparities in workforce participation.
India needs to tweak the definition of job to include self-employed: Mansukh Mandaviya
India's labour minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, called for redefining "job" to encompass self-employment and aligning skills training with industry needs. He highlighted India's growth boosting purchasing power and driving demand for a skilled workforce. A new employability report revealed a national employability rate of 54.8%, with variations across states and gender.
Placements Phase-1: IIT-K receives over 1K job offers in first week
22 students receive international job offers; top recruiters include Deutsche Bank, FedEx, Google, American Express and Reliance.
IIT's 'mentorship' gives students 2nd shot at placement
Over 200 IITians from marginalized backgrounds secured jobs after receiving free mentorship through the mentor circle programme.
Farm News
'No Fresh Petition For Same Issue' : Supreme Court Dismisses PIL Raising Grievances Related To Farmers' Protest
The Supreme Court today dismissed a public interest litigation raising grievances related to farmers' protests, observing that another case on the same issue is pending before the Court, wherein certain initiatives have been taken.
Drones transforming farming in India, market to reach $631 million by 2030: Garuda Aerospace CEO
After tractors and farm equipment, drones are now transforming the way farming is done in India by offering solutions to several challenges faced by farmers today. With a fleet of about 7,000 drones deployed in this sector, the Indian agricultural drone market, currently valued at $145.4 million, is expected to reach $631.4 million by 2030, growing at CAGR of 28.1%, said Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace, a key player in this segment.
Skilling
Indians lead Global South in adapting to AI, tech revolution: Study
India is emerging as a global leader in technological adaptation, with over 70 per cent of Indian professionals actively seeking opportunities to upskill, according to a report by the Global Labor Market Conference (GLMC). The report underscores India's pivotal role in the Global South's response to artificial intelligence and automation, showcasing the country's workers as frontrunners in skill development and technological adaptation.
Eight in 10 Indian companies plan to increase AI spending in 2025: Report
Indian companies are leading global AI adoption, with 79% planning budget increases and 45% of employees using AI daily. High confidence in AI's ROI fuels this growth, alongside mandatory AI-use policies and extensive employee training programs, driving career advancements for two-thirds of Indian workers.
Citi rolls out AI assistants for global workforce
Citigroup has launched advanced artificial intelligence or AI tools to boost productivity and streamline operations for its workforce across eight countries, including the UK. These tools are designed o simplify complex tasks and enhance efficiency in the workplace. Starting this month, around 1,40,000 employees will have access to two new AI-driven tools: Citi Assist and Citi Stylus.
Providing Jobs
2.89 lakh jobs generated by food-processing industry’s PLI scheme
Rs 8,910 crore has been invested across 213 locations in the country, under the productivity linked income scheme for the food processing industry (PLISFPI). The scheme bans the use of edible oils, flavours and additives in the manufacturing process. As a result, the reliance on local farmers and rural areas for raw materials has increased. This has helped provide financial stability to the locals and farmers. The objective is to focus on production of raw materials locally for processed food.
Tailpiece
South Korea achieves highest robot workforce worldwide
South Korea has emerged as the global leader in industrial robot adoption, replacing over 10% of its workforce with robotics. According to the World Robotics 2024 report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), South Korea now boasts an impressive 1,012 robots per 10,000 employees.
Reports
2024 AI WORKPLACE REPORT--The AI productivity dividend
Key takeaways from the global survey of over 7,000 full-time employees. From process to people, uncover AI’s role at work. Knowledge workers are capitalizing on AI to get an edge.
Labour in Parliament
Over 67% sewer, septic tank workers belong to SC category: Govt tells LS
In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said that out of 54,574 validated sewer and septic tank workers profiled under the 'National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem' (NAMASTE) scheme, 37,060 are from the SC category.
MCD sanitation workers who have completed 10 years of service must be regularised: Par panel
New Delhi--A parliamentary panel has said that sanitation workers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) who have completed 10 years of service must be regularised. In its report tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, the Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes said that many sanitation workers are being denied the benefit of regularisation due to breaks in service despite putting in 10 or more years of regular services in the MCD.
Parliamentary committee asks Centre to increase minimum EPS pension
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour, in a report, said it considered “the manifold increase in the cost of living in 2024 vis-à-vis 2014 and other relevant factors” before making the recommendation
Meagre Wages
Profits boom but pay is far from fair
The Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, Anantha Nageswaran, while speaking to corporate leaders at an industry chamber event, cautioned that employee compensation growth was poor while India Inc was enjoying a record profit growth… Profits have been higher than GDP growth by more than 3.5 times during these past four years. By comparison, the growth in salaries was not even commensurate with the inflation rate…Employment growth in the corporate or formal sector has been poor, and within the employed category, wage or salary growth is nothing compared to the growth in profits.
India’s wage problem: It's not about more jobs, it’s about better ones
Mukesh Ambani, chairman of the 2024 ET Awards jury, asserted that India's challenge isn't job creation but low wages. Addressing this requires a multifaceted approach beyond simply generating more jobs. It necessitates investment in infrastructure, innovation, and urban development to create higher-paying jobs, alongside improving education and skilling the workforce to enable wage growth nationwide.
Govt Vacancies
SC poser on vacant posts of information officials, orders status reports from Centre and states
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan passed the directive while dealing with a petition filed by RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj and others complaining about the large-scale vacancies in various information commissions, frustrating the very objective of providing information to citizens under the Right to Information Act