**Policy Summary: Employment Opportunities in Rural and Semi-Urban Areas (Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1297)**
This document summarizes the Indian government's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1297, concerning employment opportunities for youth, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. The government identifies employment generation and improved employability as priorities and is implementing various schemes and programs to achieve these goals.
Key initiatives include: Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), 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), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), PM Street Vendors AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY). Detailed information on these programs can be found at https://dge.gov.in/dgeschemesprogrammes.
The Union Cabinet has also approved the Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) Scheme to further support employment generation, enhance employability, and strengthen social security across all sectors, with a specific focus on manufacturing.
Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) payroll data indicates formal sector employment trends. From 2020-21 to 2024-25, over 5.99 crore net subscribers joined EPFO. Furthermore, over 7.67 crore newly registered employees contributed under the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) during the same period.
Regarding the implementation of the four new Labour Codes, the Central Government has pre-published the draft rules. As Labour is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India, both the Central and State/UT governments have the power to make rules under the Labour Codes. As per available information, 34, 33, 32 and 33 States/Union Territories have pre-published the draft Rules under the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and working Conditions Code, 2020 respectively.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Labour and Employment: The Indian government ministry responsible for labour and employment policies.
Employment Provident Fund Organisation: An organization that manages the statutory social security scheme under the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
Employees State Insurance Corporation: A statutory body that provides social security and health insurance benefits to Indian workers.
Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme: A credit-linked subsidy program aimed at generating employment opportunities in India.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme: An Indian labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the 'right to work'.
Code on Wages, 2019: One of the four new Labour Codes in India, regulating wage and bonus payments.
Industrial Relations Code, 2020: One of the four new Labour Codes in India, regulating industrial relations.
Code on Social Security, 2020: One of the four new Labour Codes in India, related to social security benefits.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1297
TO BE ANSWERED ON 28th JULY, 2025
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN RURAL AND SEMI URBAN AREAS
1297. SHRI K RADHAKRISHNAN:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Government to
improve employment opportunities for youth, especially in rural and
semi-urban areas during the last five years;
(b) the details of the number of workers brought under formal
employment by the Government through schemes like Employment
Provident Fund Organisation and Employees State Insurance
Corporation during the last three years; and
(c) the details of the status of implementation of the four new Labour
Codes across the Country, State/UT-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) to (c): Employment generation coupled with improving employability
of the youth including rural and semi-urban areas is a priority of the
Government. Accordingly, Government is implementing various
employment generation schemes/ programmes. These inter-alia include
Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), 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), Pradhan Mantri Mudra
Yojana (PMMY), 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.
Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) Payroll Data
indicates the level of employment in the formal sector. During the year
2020-21 to 2024-25, more than 5.99 crore net subscribers have joined
EPFO. Also, more than 7.67 crore newly registered employees, paid
contribution under Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) during
the year 2020-21 to 2024-25.
“Labour” as a subject is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution
of India and under the Labour Codes, the power to make Rules has been
entrusted to Central Government as well as State/UT Governments. As a
step towards implementation of the four Labour Codes, the Central
Government has pre-published the draft Rules. As per available
information, 34, 33, 32 and 33 States/Union Territories have pre-
published the draft Rules under the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial
Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the
Occupational Safety, Health and working Conditions Code, 2020
respectively.
*****