Employment generation coupled with improving employability is the priority of the Government. Government has taken various steps for generating employment in the country like encouraging private sector of economy, fast-tracking various projects involving substantial investment and increasing public expenditure on schemes such as Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Deendyal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).
Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) has been launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment for incentivising employers for promoting employment generation. Under this scheme, Government is paying entire employer’s contribution (12% or as admissible) towards EPF and EPS for all eligible new employees for all sectors for 3 years.
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has been initiated by Government inter alia for facilitating self-employment. Under PMMY collateral free loans uptoRs. 10 lakh, are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or expand their business activities.
Government has implemented the National Career Service (NCS) Project which comprises a digital portal that provides a nation-wide online platform for the job seekers and employers for job-matching in a dynamic, efficient and responsive manner and has a repository of career content to job seekers.
Start-up India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to build a strong ecosystem that is conducive for the growth of start-up businesses, to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities.
Besides these initiatives, flagship programmes of the Government such as Make in India, Digital India, Swachh Bharat Mission, Smart City Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Housing for All, Infrastructure development and Industrial corridors have the potential to generate productive employment opportunities. Ministries/ Departments/ States run skill development schemes across various sectors to improve the employability of youth and also facilitate placements. Schemes such as the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) wherein Government reimburses 25 percent of the stipend payable to apprentices also enhances employability of the youth to access employment.
This information was provided by Union Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Monday.