India is rich in natural resources and manpower. These resources have, however, not been fully utilised. If they are put to use in a proper way they are capable of changing the shape of entire Indian economy.
Indian economy is still largely agricultural. About half of country’s national income comes from agriculture and related activities. Agriculture has absorbed nearly three- fourths of the country’s working force.
Since 1947, it has been the aim of the government to expand the economy by speeding up the pace of industrial development, increase agricultural production and through this achieve all round progress under the national plans.
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Because of the following basic facts about Indian economy the Five Year Plans acquired more significance:
(a) The population in India has been growing at a high rate of 2 to 2.5 per cent annually. This means that national income should grow faster, if the population has to improve economically.
(b) Our country’s savings are very low and could only be raised substantially if the government adopts totalitarian methods (a form of government that includes control of everything under one authority and allows no opposition). And this is against the basic principles of our government.
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(c) To achieve an increase of 5 per cent per annum in the national income we require investment to the extent of 15 per cent of the national income per year. This rate of investment is very high and India would not be able to achieve this figure on its own even in 15 to 20 years.
The Sixth Plan document presented estimates of unemployment in March 1980 on the basis of provisional results of the 32nd round of NSSO (The National Sample Survey Organisation was set up in 1970 with the aim to collect information to different areas including employment). These estimates are based on three concepts namely “usual status”, “weekly status” and “daily status”.
Usual Status unemployment refers to long-term unemployment. According to usual status approach, the unemployment by March 1980 was estimated at 1.14 crore persons in the age group of 15 and above.
Weekly Status unemployment refers to the average number of persons who did not find even an hour of work during the survey week or who were searching for work or were available for work. The number of such persons in March 1980 was 1.16 crore in the age group of 15 and above.
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This estimate of weekly unemployment does not give a complete picture of employment situation because millions of workers do not get regular work even for a whole week. They get some work on some days and are available for work on other days even during the same week.
Their unemployed days rather than unemployed persons are counted to find the number of average daily unemployed persons. Average daily unemployment was 1.98 crores in the age group of 15 and above.
In order to solve the unemployment situation in the country the government has formulated the following schemes:
(1) The National Employment Service (NES) (1945).
(2) The Central Institute for Research and Training in Employment Service (CIRTES) is functioning under the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGET) in the Ministry of Labour since 1964.
(3) Vocational Guidance:
Vocational guidance and employment counselling services are provided to the youth and adults.
(4) Exchanges for Physically Handicapped:
There are 21 special employment exchanges for the physically handicapped.
In addition, eleven vocational rehabilitation centres for the physically handicapped are also functioning in the country.
(5) For Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe job seekers, ten coaching cum-guidance centres are working.
(6) Craftsmen’s Training:
Training in 39 engineering and 26 non- engineering trades is being imparted through Industrial Training Institutes in the country.
(7) Craft Instructors’ Training:
Five Advanced Training Institutes, one C.T.I., three R.V.T.Is, and one N.V.T.I. train craft instructors required by the training establishments.
(8) Advanced Vocational Training System:
For the highly skilled workers and technicians in a variety of advanced and sophisticated skills not available from the vocational training programmes, advanced vocational training system has been introduced in several institutes in the country.
(9) Foremen’s Training:
An institute to train foremen was established in Bangalore in 1971 and other at Jamshedpur.
(10) Apprenticeship Training Scheme:
216 industries and 131 trades have so far been covered under this apprenticeship training scheme.
(11) Part-time training to Industrial Workers:
Evening classes have been started for providing part-time training to industrial workers at Several I.T.Is. in country.
(12) Vocational Training Research:
A Central Staff Training and Research Institute were set up at Calcutta in 1970 for developing indigenous training techniques.
(13) Vocational Training for Women:
The National Vocational Training Institute for Women at New Delhi provides instructor training, basic training and advanced training in selected trades to women. Five Regional Vocational Training Institutes for Women have also been set up at Bombay and Bangalore.
During the Sixth Five Year Plan it is proposed to set up four model Industrial Training Institutes in four different places in the country. The objective is to reorganise the craftsmen training programme.
This will be done by introducing a broad-based basic training followed by modular training as recommended by the Committee of Experts on Training.
Two Model Industrial Training Institutes, one at Haldwani (Uttar Pradesh) and the other at Calicut (Kerala) have already started functioning. Two other institutes, one each at Choudwar (Orissa) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) have also started.