Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chaired an inter-ministerial roundtable on employment data in New Delhi today. The focus of the meeting was to come up with a systematic approach for recording regular data on employment, as an outcome of schemes/programmes and projects by creating synergies across Ministries/Departments.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal was also present on the occasion. He lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Labour & Employment for organizing the Inter-Ministerial consultation and highlighted that this should be a regular exercise.

Highlighting that Union Budget 2024-25 is youth and employment-centric, Dr. Mandaviya elaborated on the comprehensive and innovative Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) package announced in the Budget, which consists of three schemes to benefit employers and employees and promote job creation. He also highlighted the various labour reforms announced in the budget, such as the upgradation of the eShram portal and the revamping of the Samadhan and Shram Suvidha Portals.

In his address, Dr. Mandaviya highlighted the need for integrating multiple data sources on employment generation existing across the Government of India. He noted that various ministries and departments are implementing numerous schemes and projects that lead to huge employment generation, but the data currently exist in silos.

Dr. Mandaviya said, “There is a need to create linkages among different employment data sources, assimilating and integrating them to develop a system that captures a holistic picture of employment generation in the country”.

To achieve these goals, Union Minister suggested forming a Core Group comprising different Ministries/Departments and Industry that will meet regularly to build synergies and integrate efforts currently existing in silos.

Recognising the industry’s demand for skilled workforce, the Union Minister emphasized the need to prepare the youth with adequate skill sets and professional qualifications to match their demands. He also urged industry bodies to identify young people and offer them internship opportunities, thereby securing jobs and joining the government in improving lives.

During the high-level meeting, senior officials from 19 different Ministries and Departments, along with representatives from industry associations like the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), engaged in an intensive brainstorming session and shared valuable suggestions and insights.

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Himanshu Pathak