When Julius Caesar’s Senate fixed January 1 as the ‘first day of the year’, the idea wasn’t only to ‘start afresh’. It was also when those in civil office were to set in motion their responsibilities. In that tradition, coming down from 45 BC, let the existing coalition government headed by Narendra Modi set out to focus and do a lot better with this list: Top 25 Must Get Done In 2025.

1. Control inflation: Retail inflation reached a 14-month high of 6.21% and food inflation reached a 15-month high of 10.87% in October 2024. In 2023, savings by households dipped to a 50-year low.

2. Make the GDP grow: The Reserve Bank of India reduced GDP growth estimates from 7.2% to 6.6% in December 2024. The repo rate was not cut for eleven consecutive terms.

3. Attract foreign investment: 13 thousand crore (1.6 billion USD) worth of foreign direct investment has decreased between 2022-23 and 2023-24.

4. Make the rupee strong: In December 2024, the rupee stayed weak for the third straight session and settled at an all-time low of 85.27 against the US dollar.

5. Generate employment: Youth unemployment rate has been at 10% for the last two years. As per the Economic Survey, half of all individuals are not ready to be employed after graduating from college.

6. Favour the common man: In the last four years, Rs 5.65 lakh crore has been written off for the industrial sector. Agriculture, the largest employer in the country, received the least attention in terms of loan write-offs among all sectors from Scheduled Commercial Banks.

7. Provide food for all: Annually, 17 lakh Indians die from diseases related to insufficient food intake.

8. Ensure equal wages for all: Annual growth rate of real wages over the last decade has been close to zero at the all-India level. Rural real wages for the last five years have declined at 0.4% and agricultural wages have become stagnant at 0.2%. Four out of five people earn less than Rs 515 as of 2021.

9. Ensure dignity of life for farmers: As per the NCRB, 30 farmers commit suicide every day. Since February 2024, 22 farmers have lost their lives and over 160 have been injured while protesting for a legal guarantee for MSP.

10. Enable safety for women: Section 63 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita deals with the offence of rape but provides an exception for marital rape, stating that “sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under eighteen years of age, is not rape”.

11. Ensure dignity for the marginalised: Between 2018 and 2020, 443 people died cleaning sewers and septic tanks. Manual scavenging was banned in 2013.

12. Protect the press: Between 2014 and 2019, there were 200 serious attacks on journalists, along with arrests and interrogations. At least 194 journalists were targeted by government agencies, non-state political actors, criminals, and armed opposition groups in 2022 alone.

13. Ensure equitable representation: The representation of women in the 18th Lok Sabha is merely 13.6%. This is even less than the 17th Lok Sabha, which had 14.4% women. Only two out of 24 Parliamentary Standing Committees are chaired by women.

14. Allow legislative scrutiny: Since 2019, over 100 bills have been passed in less than two hours. In the 17th Lok Sabha, nine out of 10 bills introduced in Parliament have been marked by zero or incomplete consultations.

15. Select the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha: The 17th Lok Sabha did not have a Deputy Speaker for its entire five-year term. The office of the Deputy Speaker continues to remain vacant even in the 18th Lok Sabha.

16. Allow criticism: The number of opposition MPs who have been suspended in the last five years has increased 13-fold. As many as 95% cases by the Enforcement Directorate in the last ten years have been filed against those from the Opposition.

17. Respect institutions: The National Commission for Backward Classes, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights do not have a Vice-Chairperson.

18. Support Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes & Other Backward Classes: As of March 2024, one out of 10 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) were not functional. Two out of five Eklavya schools were not functional as of July 2024.

19. Complete timelines: The 2021 Census has still not been conducted. This makes it the first Census to be delayed between 1887 and 2011.

20. Utilise funds better: As much as 80% of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’s total fund was spent on media advocacy, not for interventions on health or education.

21. Release dues owed to states: The government owes Rs 1,500 Crore under MGNREGS and Awas Yojana to West Bengal. The non-payment of the funds has directly affected the livelihood of 59 lakh MGNREGS workers.

22. Care about Manipur: The violence in Manipur has continued for more than a year, causing the displacement of 67,000 people, of which 14,000 are school-going students. The Prime Minister is yet to visit the state.

23. Safeguard minorities and their welfare: The NCRB recorded 378 instances of communal violence in 2021 and 272 such instances in 2022. In 2023, India witnessed 668 documented hate speech incidents against one community alone. One hundred and twenty-eight properties were demolished between April and June 2022, following communal violence and protests.

24. Build secure public infrastructure: There were 244 train accidents between 2017 and 2022. As many as 135 people died when a suspension bridge collapsed in Morbi. Fourty-one workers were trapped for 17 days after the Uttarkashi Tunnel caved in.

25. Enable a safer internet: Frauds relating to “digital arrests” in the first nine months of 2024 amounted to losses worth Rs 1616 crore. The Digital Data Protection Rules have not been notified despite the Act being passed over a year ago.

(Research credit: Varnika Mishra)

(Derek O’Brien, MP, leads the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

One of the major challenges facing the economy is sluggish consumption. Consumption, in turn, depends on the ability of the people to spend. After adjusting for inflation, the crux of the issue lies in having more income in people’s pockets to spend, which is ultimately determined by employment levels in the country. Increasing employment depends on the overall performance of the economy. With the economy slowing from 8.2% growth in FY24 to under 7%, the corporate sector’s ability to create jobs is limited. Employment increases only when companies perceive value in hiring. They are unwilling to keep staff on the bench and drag down their profit-loss account.

Direct Action Is Good

The government has started taking direct action to create employment, a move that deserves appreciation. While the government has focused on filling vacancies within the public administration, it has also taken steps to encourage the private sector to hire more people. A recent example is the decision by the insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to hire “Bima Sakhis”. The scheme, aimed primarily at women aged 18-70 years who have completed at least 10th grade, offers a three-year training programme with stipends of Rs 7,000, Rs 6,000, and Rs 5,000 per month, respectively, over the course of these years. The goal is to empower women and equip them with the skills to be gainfully employed, specifically as LIC agents who will help onboard customers for insurance products. This initiative represents a progressive step by the government in collaboration with the LIC. Depending on the success of the scheme, the government may consider similar partnerships with other insurance agencies, including general insurers. In a way, this mirrors the banking correspondent model used for financial inclusion.

Additionally, the FY25 Budget announced two schemes to boost employment by providing incentives to employers. One scheme ensures that the government offers a contribution of a month’s wage for first-time employees. Another provides a benefit to both employers and employees through government contributions to the employees’ provident funds. Like the Bima Sakhi initiative, the budget also introduced an internship scheme targeting 1 crore youth over five years. The government will provide a stipend of Rs 5,000 per month to these interns, who will receive on-the-job training at the country’s top 500 companies, potentially leading to full-time employment. It will certainly help them become more employable.

An Incomplete Approach

These are commendable steps by the government to encourage India Inc. to hire more people and address the job creation issue. Two ideas emerge from these initiatives: First, such programmes could be replicated across various industries, and second, state governments could take the lead in implementing them in their regions. But, is this the only approach for creating jobs?

The challenge lies in the fact that companies are driven by the need to maximise profits for their shareholders. This is achieved by growing the business and cutting costs. Employee costs are a significant part of any company’s expenditure, so there is hesitation to hire more people than necessary to run operations. This has resulted in periodic layoffs, even in profitable companies, leading to temporary unemployment among highly skilled workers. Often, those laid off are made to accept jobs that pay less than their previous positions.

While the government’s initiatives are a positive start, such measures cannot be sustained indefinitely as they require substantial financial commitment to keep people employed in the private sector. Alternatives must be explored to create employment in non-government sectors. One possible solution is to provide incentives for companies to hire more workers. This could take the form of tax incentives for companies that show a growth rate in permanent headcount higher than the average of the last three years. Similarly, the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme could be linked to employment targets, allowing companies to claim subsidies from the government if they hire more people.

A Carrot And Stick Policy

By linking fiscal benefits to employment growth, companies can be incentivised to hire more staff. This is particularly important as many sectors are increasingly deploying AI technologies, which may not be the best fit for a labour-surplus economy like India’s. To counter this, the government could consider imposing higher taxes on AI technologies to discourage their use. Additionally, a “layoff tax” could be considered for companies that engage in firing despite being financially healthy. Admittedly, this would be difficult to administer, as often, laid-off employees are forced to resign.

While the government has taken the right steps to increase private-sector employment, these measures may be costly in light of other fiscal commitments. The approach should be expanded to include other government layers. More importantly, a “carrot and stick” policy should be adopted to ensure that the private sector contributes to the nation-building process, particularly in terms of employment.

(The writer is Chief Economist, Bank of Baroda, and author of Corporate Quirks: The Darker Side of the Sun)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

As the dust settles on the proposals that the Finance Minister made in the Budget earlier this month, some aspects have become clearer while questions remain on others.

Budget 2024-25 saw several initiatives around employment and skilling being proposed. Do these form a good first step in addressing the jobs challenge the country faces? Or should the government have begun addressing the problem at the level of primary school and worked upwards?

Guest: Amit Basole, Professor of Economics at Azim Premji University

Host: K. Bharat Kumar

Edited by Jude Francis Weston

Listen to more In Focus podcasts:

The BJP floundered in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The floundering continued on the floor of both Houses where Members of Parliament from the INDIA parties delivered multiple speeches that were well-structured, well-executed, and rich in content. A recurring theme in many of these powerful interventions on the Budget was a 12-letter word giving Modi and his coalition sleepless Delhi nights: unemployment.

Article 41 of the Constitution states, “The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education, and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want.”

Employment And Food Insecurity

Many MPs in the Opposition quoted CMIE data about the employment rate – which is the ‘proportion of employed persons in the working age population’ – recorded at 37% in June 2024. The Global Hunger Index 2023 was often referred to last week in Parliament – India ranked 111th out of 125 countries. Despite improvements in food production and distribution, food insecurity persists, particularly in marginalised communities. 

Impact On Personal Freedoms

A citizen cannot truly enjoy any liberty when perpetually anxious about her family’s unmet needs. This becomes even more important when the Budget skirts around the issues of health, nutrition, social security, and education. It is difficult to think about personal liberties on an empty stomach. 

MGNREGA

MGNREGA addresses the issue of Right to Work. However, it ensures it as a statutory right, instead of being a Fundamental Right. The latter cannot be taken away by an amendment of the MGNREGA Act. It bears repetition that states have been constantly deprived of MGNREGA funds. The Union owes the West Bengal government alone Rs 7,000 Crores for the scheme. 

In a labour-surplus society, why then is the Union government often selling the family silver to private entities? Two dozen large Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have been privatised. This is not the solution. Should it not be the duty of the state to offer the labour force multiple opportunities for employment? There are 30 lakh vacancies in the Union government and government-controlled organisations. What is the road map and timelines for these vacancies to be filled? Parliament is in session. The government must provide answers. 

Education And Skill Development

The Union has an obligation to provide quality education and skill development to improve employability, and guarantee livelihood. But Budget 2024 has allocated only Rs 1.20 lakh crore to education, which is a 2% decline from Actuals (Rs 1.23 lakh crores) in 2023-24. 

Right To Livelihood As A Fundamental Right 

Through judicial interpretation, the Right to Livelihood has been read into the Right to Life, even though it is not explicitly listed among the Fundamental Rights in Part III of the Constitution. The Supreme Court emphasised, “An equally important facet of the right to life is the right to livelihood because no person can live without the means of living, that is, the means of livelihood. If the right to livelihood is not treated as a part of the constitutional right to life, the easiest way of depriving a person of his right to life would be to deprive him of his means of livelihood to the point of abrogation. Such deprivation would not only strip life of its effective content and meaningfulness but also make life impossible to live.”

The Right to Work, outlined in the directive principles, has been interpreted alongside the Rights to Livelihood and Life, evolving into a Fundamental Right through judicial pronouncements. Integrating the Right to Work into Fundamental Rights, and ensuring that policies are designed to create sustainable job opportunities, is paramount to ensuring employment. Even after a tepid performance in the elections, where they were punished by young people, this government refuses to prioritise investment in education and vocational training. 

Only talk about cooperative federalism will not do. States politically opposed to the ruling dispensation are deprived on flimsy grounds for years of their MGNREGA funds. These are funds due to people who have completed their work, and have still not been paid.

Additionally, fostering a more inclusive job market by supporting small businesses and encouraging entrepreneurship can play a critical role in generating employment. By taking these steps, India can better align its economic policies with its constitutional commitments and provide more meaningful support to its citizens.

The Right to Work still requires the state to take responsibility, and appropriate legislative actions, to fully provide citizens with the Right to Life, Livelihood, and Dignity.

Research Credit: Chahat Mangtani

(Derek O’Brien, MP, leads the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Jalon Hall, a black, deaf employee and the first of her kind hired by Google, has filed a lawsuit against the tech giant, alleging racial and disability discrimination. Ms Hall accuses Google of failing to live up to its promises of inclusivity despite celebrating her as a diversity success story.

According to Wired, Ms Hall’s lawsuit paints a contrasting picture between Google’s public image and its internal practices. While Google touted Ms Hall on social media and corporate events as an example of their inclusive work environment, the lawsuit claims she faced a hostile work environment filled with racial bias.

Ms Hall alleges that after initial promises of sign language interpreter support, Google restricted access to interpreters after assigning her to a role focused on reviewing content for YouTube’s child safety regulations. The lawsuit states that managers refused interpreters due to confidentiality concerns, despite established ethical codes for sign language interpreters.

This lack of accommodations left Ms Hall struggling to meet performance expectations. Unable to understand the video content efficiently without an interpreter, Ms Hall reportedly reviewed far fewer videos than the expected quota. This resulted in slow career progression compared to her peers.

“I felt humiliated, realising that I would not grow in my career,” Ms Hall told Wired.

Furthermore, the lawsuit details an instance where a manager referred to Ms Hall as an “aggressive black deaf woman” and suggested she take on a sales role instead. Additionally, Hall claims she was excluded from discussions and passed over for promotions due to “inaccurate evaluations.”

While Google has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on procedural grounds, they haven’t addressed the specific accusations. Ms Hall, however, is determined to see change.

“Google is using me to make them look inclusive for the Deaf community and the overall disability community,” Ms Hall told Wired. “In reality, they need to do better.”

Ms Hall’s case sheds light on the underrepresentation of black and disabled employees at Google, which is a company with nearly 183,000 workers.

Black women, specifically, have a higher departure rate than women of other races. Google’s deaf and hard-of-hearing employee group reportedly consists of only 40 members, company data showed last year.

Ms Hall’s lawsuit seeks not only personal compensation but also systemic changes. She demands reinforcement policies to ensure future hires with disabilities receive proper accommodation and equal opportunities.

In September 2023, 25% of the respondents said their income levels had improved compared to a year ago — the highest for any September after 2018.

A relatively high share of urban consumers entered the 2023 festival season with more confidence than seven years ago. The conclusion is based on the September 2023 edition of the Reserve Bank of India’s Consumer Confidence Survey.

The survey gathers the present views of households in relation to the previous year, focusing on the general economic climate, employment conditions, price trends, and individual income and expenditures across 19 key cities. The most recent iteration of this survey took place from September 2 to 11, 2023, with 6,077 participants; 50.3% of them were female respondents. 

In September 2023, the start of the festival season in India, 36% of the respondents said the general economic situation had improved compared to a year ago — the highest for any September after 2016. While confidence in the economy is at a seven-year high, levels of pessimism about the economy are at a six-year low. In September 2023, only 44% said that the economic situation had worsened compared to a year ago — the lowest for any September after 2017. However, those who felt the economy worsened continued to be more than those who felt it had improved. 

Chart 1 | The chart plots respondents’ views on the general economic situation for every September since 2012.

Chart appears incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

In September 2023, 34% said their employment opportunities had improved compared to a year ago — the highest for any September after 2018. Pessimism about job opportunities was also low. In September 2023, 44% said their employment levels had worsened compared to a year ago — the lowest for any September after 2017. However, more respondents continued to report that their employment opportunities had worsened than those who said it had improved. 

Chart 2 | The chart plots respondents’ views on employment opportunities every September since 2012. 

In September 2023, 25% of the respondents said their income levels had improved compared to a year ago — the highest for any September after 2018. Pessimism about income levels was also low. In September 2023, 25% also said their income levels had worsened compared to a year ago — the lowest for any September after 2018. 

Chart 3 | The chart plots respondents’ views on income levels for every September since 2012.

In September 2023, 91% of the respondents said the price levels of commodities had increased compared to a year ago. For the third consecutive September, the share of such respondents persists above the 90% mark.

Chart 4 | The chart plots respondents’ views on price levels of commodities for every September since 2012. 

In September 2023, 74% said their spending levels had increased compared to a year ago — the highest for any September after 2018. For the second consecutive September, the share of such respondents persists above the 70% mark.

Chart 5 | The chart plots respondents’ views on spending levels for every September since 2012. 

In summary, a higher share of people entered the festival season this year with more confidence about the economy, their job opportunities and income levels than before. A high share of them continue to feel that the price level of commodities is higher than a year ago. A high share of them also spent more this September than in previous years.

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According to the RBI’s observations, prospects also look bright. “Households remain highly optimistic on future earnings even though their sentiment on current earnings remained around its July 2023 level.” The general economic forecast, along with the outlook for employment, income, and spending, is anticipated to be better. Additionally, the Future Expectations Index (FEI) hit its highest level in four years in the most recent survey, the RBI observed.

Source: Reserve Bank of India’s Consumer Confidence Survey

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New Delhi:

 The economy has added around 5.2 crore new formal jobs between FY20 and FY23, with the net addition being 2.7 crore, according to a report based on an analysis of the EPFO, NPS and ESIC data.

The government has since April 2018 releasing monthly payroll data from the Employees Provident Fund Organisation or EPFO, the National Pension Scheme or NPS and the Employees State Insurance Corporation or the ESIC, based on the recommendations given by Ghosh & Ghosh report.

The EPFO payroll data trends for the past four years show that net new EPF subscriber addition during FY20-23 was 4.86 crore, which consists of new payroll (first payroll), second payroll (rejoined/resubscribed members) and formalised payrolls. Accordingly, the net new payroll (first job/fresh job) adjusted for re-joined/re-subscribed members and formalisation (based on ECR data), shows that the actual net new payroll was 2.27 crore during FY20-23, SBI Research said in a report Tuesday.

Of this, the first jobs were 47 per cent of the total net new payroll addition and the second jobs (the exited members who re-joined and re-subscribed) stood at 2.17 crore during these four years. This means that the net increase in formalisation was at 42 lakh in these years, said the report penned by group chief economic advisor to the SBI Soumyakanti Ghosh.

If the Q1 EPFO payroll data of FY24 looked at the trend, it is encouraging as 44 lakh net new EPF subscribers joined, of which the first payroll was 19.2 lakh. If the trend continues for the rest of FY24, then the net new payroll will cross the 160 lakh mark, which will be the highest ever with the first payroll in the range of 70-80 lakh.

NPS data indicate that 8.24 lakh new subscribers in FY23, of which state government payrolls stood at 4.64 lakh, followed by non-government jobs of 2.30 lakh and 1.29 in the central government.

During the past four years, around 31 lakh new subscribers joined the NPS. That means, cumulatively, total payroll generation of the EPFO and NPS was more than 5.2 crore during FY20-23, Ghosh said.

The report also notes a significant decline in revision of the number of members who have rejoined or resubscribed in the first quarter of the current financial year. This would mean more people may be deciding to stick to their current employment. Additionally, the share of women’s payroll was around 27 per cent.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In Telangana, there is a stark difference in socio-economic indicators between the districts around Hyderabad, the capital, and those far away from it. This is the fourth story in a series of Data Points exploring the inter-district differences in the southern States. The district-wise variations in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka were discussed earlier.

Given that the State of Telangana was formed barely a decade ago and the frequency of data across many indicators is poor, it is tough to provide time-series comparisons to show how the State has grown. But in general, Telangana was neither at the top nor at the bottom of the health, education and environment-related parameters analysed across States.

An analysis of district-wise data shows that development is limited to certain pockets of Telangana. 

Chart 1 | The chart shows the per capita income at current prices for 2020-21. 

Charts appear incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

The top seven districts on this indicator (other than Hyderabad) were Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Medak, Mahabubnagar, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, and Siddipet. Notably, all these districts are located next to Hyderabad or just one district away from it. However, peripheral districts such as Wanaparthy, Jogulamba Gadwal, Narayanpet, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, and those that are far from the capital but not in the periphery, such as Mahabubabad, Jagtial, and Hanumakonda, featured at the bottom of the per capita income list. Vikarabad is an exception. It is relatively close to Hyderabad but has the lowest per capita income in Telangana.

Chart 2 | The chart shows the share of women aged 20-24 years who married as teenagers. 

While more than 35% of women married as teenagers in the peripheral districts of Khammam and Jogulamba Gadwal, about 10% of such women were in Hyderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri.

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Chart 3 | The chart shows the share of children under five years who were underweight in 2019-21. 

Over 50% of children, the highest in the State, were underweight in Adilabad, the northernmost district. In contrast, Hyderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri had 25% or less of underweight children.

Chart 4 | The chart shows the share of households with improved sanitation in 2019-21. 

Less than 65% of households had access to improved sanitation in the three peripheral districts in the north — Adilabad, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, and Nirmal, which featured at the bottom of the list. In contrast, Hyderabad and two nearby districts — Siddipet and Medchal-Malkajgiri — were among the top five districts where more than 84% of the households had access.

Chart 5 | The chart shows the number of government hospital beds available per lakh population in a district as of 2020-21. 

Nirmal, Narayanpet, and Kumuram Bheem Asifabad featured among the bottom five, while Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Mahabubnagar featured among the top five.

Chart 6 | The chart shows the number of people employed in factories per one lakh population as of 2018-19. 

Contract workers were not included. Among the top seven districts, except Nizamabad which leads other districts by a wide margin on this indicator, the rest were located around the capital district.

Chart 7 | The chart shows the number of employees working at MSMEs per one lakh population as of 2020-21. 

Among the top seven districts, except Karimnagar which leads other districts by a wide margin, and Suryapet, the rest were located around the capital district.

Chart 8 | The chart shows the Gross Enrolment Ratio at the high school level (2021-22). The top three districts were Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, and Hyderabad.

vignesh.r@thehindu.co.in and rebecca.varghese@thehindu.co.in

Lathika V. is interning with The Hindu Data Team

Source: National Family Health Survey, Telengana State Statistical Abstract, and Telengana Socio-Economic Outlook 2023

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