Parliament Question: Employment in Bundelkhand

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2504 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04TH AUGUST, 2025 EMPLOYMENT IN BUNDELKHAND

2504. SHRI NARAYANDAS AHIRWAR:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the unemployment rate in Bundelkhand region is higher than the national average and the main reason for the rapidly increasing migration among the youth as there is lack of livelihood, if so, the details thereof;

(b) the details of the efforts made by the Government to create permanent and local employment opportunities in the Bundelkhand region;

(c) whether the Government proposes to bring any special scheme to promote agro-based industries, small and cottage industries and self-employment in the said region and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether the Government proposes to take any concrete initiative to strengthen employment offices in every district of Bundelkhand and connect the youth with skill development programmes and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (d) The official data on Employment and Unemployment is collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) which is conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18.

As per the latest available Annual PLFS reports, the estimated Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above has decreased from 6.0% in 2017-18 to 3.2% in 2023-24. Further, Unemployment Rate (UR) on usual status for persons of age 15 years and above in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh –including Bundelkhand region has decreased from 6.2% in 2017-18 to 3.1% in 2023-24 and 4.3% in 2017-18 to 1.0% in 2023-24 respectively.Government is implementing Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) under the administrative control of Ministry of MSME through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), for assisting entrepreneurs in setting up of new micro-enterprises including cottage industries involved in activities such as agro-based food processing, beekeeping, textiles, leather, etc in the country including Bundelkhand region.

Employment generation coupled with improving employability for all including Bundelkhand region is a priority of the Government. Accordingly, Government is implementing various employment generation schemes/programmes. These inter-alia include Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs), Deen Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), Stand-up India Scheme, Start Up India , Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana

(PMMY), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), etc. The details of various employment generation schemes/programmes being implemented by the

Government may be seen at https://dge.gov.in/dge/schemes_programmes.

In addition, the Union Cabinet has approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme to support employment generation, enhance employability and social security across all sectors, with special focus on the manufacturing sector.

Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India is running the National Career Service (NCS) Portal which is a one-stop solution for providing career related services including information on jobs from private and government sectors, information on online & offline job fairs, job search & matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, employability enhancement programmes,. etc. through a digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in]..

One of the objectives of the NCS scheme is to transform the employment exchanges to Model Career Centres (MCCs). These centres connect local youth and other job- seekers with job opportunities through use of technology as well as career counselling and training. As such these Model Career Centres (MCCs) act as a hub for organizing job fairs, mobilising the employers, providing career counselling at local level etc. in collaboration with States and other institutions for the jobseekers and employers through outreach activities. Till date, 39 Model Career Centres have been approved in the State of Uttar Pradesh and 13 in the State of Madhya Pradesh including in Bundelkhand region.

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