Kharge Attacks Modi Government Over Youth Unemployment Crisis

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a fierce critique of the Modi government, accusing it of failing to address youth unemployment in India. Kharge cited various reports and surveys to support his claims that government policies have jeopardized job creation across sectors, resulting in a high unemployment rate, especially among women and the youth.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a fierce critique of the Modi government, accusing it of focusing on keeping the youth jobless. Kharge cited various reports, including independent analyses and government data, to reinforce his arguments on the pressing issue of unemployment.

Kharge questioned the government's dismissal of independent economic reports, highlighting the latest government statistics which he said debunk the Centre's employment claims. He pointed out that according to the NSSO's Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises, the manufacturing sector alone lost 54 lakh jobs between 2015 and 2023. Furthermore, the current urban unemployment rate stands at 6.7%, as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey.

Referencing findings from IIM Lucknow and Azim Premji University, Kharge underscored the high unemployment rate among the educated youth and the low workforce participation of women. He also noted Citigroup's recent report, which states that India needs 1.2 crore jobs annually, adding that the country's average GDP growth of 5.8% under the Modi government falls short of these requirements. Kharge blamed the government's policies, including demonetization and ill-planned GST implementation, for exacerbating the unemployment crisis.

(With inputs from agencies.)