This document summarizes the Indian Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4354, addressed on August 19, 2025, regarding job losses due to privatization from fiscal year 2019-20 to 2024-25, specifically focusing on the impact on Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST) categories.
The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri B.L. Verma, provided data extracted from the Public Enterprises Survey for the years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. The data reflects the number of regular employees in operating Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and the representation of SCs, STs, and OBCs within those CPSEs.
Key findings indicate a decrease in the total number of regular employees in operating CPSEs from 9.20 lakh in 2019-20 to 8.12 lakh in 2023-24. However, the representation of SCs increased from 17.44% in 2019-20 to 17.76% in 2023-24. The representation of STs increased from 10.84% in 2019-20 to 10.85% in 2023-24. The representation of OBCs increased from 21.59% in 2019-20 to 26.24% in 2023-24.
The source of the data is the Public Enterprises Survey, an annual publication by the Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: A ministry in the Government of India responsible for social justice and empowerment.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
SHRI SACHITHANANTHAM R: Member of Parliament who raised the question.
OBC: Other Backward Classes, a collective term used by the Government of India to classify castes which are educationally or socially disadvantaged.
SC: Scheduled Castes, official term for historically disadvantaged groups in India.
ST: Scheduled Tribes, official term for historically disadvantaged indigenous groups in India.
SHRI B.L.VERMA: Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.
Central Public Sector Enterprises CPSEs: Companies in which the direct holding of the Central Government is 51% or more.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4354
TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.08.2025
LOSS OF JOBS DUE TO PRIVATISATION
4354, SHRI SACHITHANANTHAM R:
Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:
(a) the total number of job vacancies in central and public sector undertakings has been lost due
to privatisation during the last five years, from 2019-20 to 2024-25; and
(b) the total number of loss of reserved posts for the OBC, SC and ST sections?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI B.L.VERMA)
(a) & (b): As per information available in Public Enterprises Survey for last five years (2019-20,
2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24), the details of regular employees in operating Central
Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and representation of SCs, STs and OBCs are attached at
Annexure. The representation of SCs has increased from 17.44% in 2019-20 to 17.76% in 2023-
24, representation of STs has increased from 10.84% in 2019-20 to 10.85% in 2023-24 and
representation of OBCs has increased from 21.59% in 2019-20 to 26.24% in 2023-24.Annexure
Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4354 on the subject "Loss of Jobs due to Privatisation"
answered on 19.08.2025
Number of Regular Employees in Operating CPSEs and representation of SCs, STs and
OBCs
Financial Total Representation of SCs, STs and OBCs in the Operating CPSEs*
Year Regular
Employees SC ST OBC
(Numbers m (Numbers (Numbers (Numbers
Lakh) inLakh) | % | inLakh) | % | inLakh) | %
2019-20 9.20 1.60 17.44 1.00 10.84 1.99 21.59
2020-21 8.60 1.49 17.28 0.90 10.46 1.93 22.40
2021-22 8.39 1.46 17.38 0.85 10.19 1.90 22.63
2022-23 8.41 1.44 17.17 0.83 9.86 2.00 23.77
2023-24 8.12 1.44 17.76 0.88 10.85 2.13 26.24
*Source- The Public Enterprises Survey, annual document of the Department of Public
Enterprises, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
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