3.81 lakh jobs created in central govt dept in 2 years

Amid a chorus over lack of employment opportunities, the central government said it has generated over 3.81 lakh jobs between the last two years in its different organisations, according to the Budget 2019-20 documents.

The strength of government establishments was 32,38,397 as on March 1, 2017, which increased to 36,19,596 by the same date in 2019 —an increase of 3,81,199, according to the Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday.

The Congress and other opposition parties have accused the BJP-led NDA government of rising unemployment in the country. They had stepped up their attack on the Narendra Modi government over job creation after it announced demonetisation in 2016.

The Budget documents give a break-up of the jobs that were created in the central government departments in the last two years.

A highest of 98,999 people claimed to have been recruited by the Ministry of Railways alone. Its strength of around 12.7 lakh in March 2017 rose to 13.69 lakh as on March 1, 2019.

There were nearly 80,000 new jobs created in the police force during 2017 and 2019, the documents said. Over 53,000 new jobs were created in indirect tax departments and 29,935 indirect tax departments, it said.

The strength in indirect taxes and direct taxes was 53,394 and 50,208 respectively as on March 1, 2017.

As many as 46,347 new jobs were created in the Ministry of Defence (Civil). Its strength was 42,370 in March 2017 that increased to 88,717 by the same month in 2019.

Nearly 10,000 jobs have been created in the Department of Atomic Energy, 2,250 in the Department of Telecommunications, 3,981 in Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, according to the document.

As many as 7,743 new jobs were created in the Department of Science and Technology; 6,338 in the Ministry of Mines; 2,920 in the Department of Space; 2,056 in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; and 1,833 in the External Affairs Ministry between 2017 and 2019, it said.

A total of 3,647 new jobs were created in the Culture Ministry, followed by 1,835 in the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare, and 1,189 in the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Budget documents said.

"As the world's third-largest domestic aviation market, the time is ripe for India to enter into aircraft financing and leasing activities from Indian shores. This is critical to the development of self-reliant aviation industry, creating aspirational jobs in aviation finance, besides leveraging the business opportunities available in India's financial Special Economic Zones (SEZs), namely, International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).

"The government will implement the essential elements of the regulatory roadmap for making India a hub for such activities, Sitharaman had said in her Budget speech.

To prepare youths to also take up jobs overseas, the government will increase focus on skill sets needed abroad including language training, she had said.