New Delhi, February 11 Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale raised concerns about hidden unemployment in India's cities on Wednesday, stating that the government should also consider the quality of employment, as he criticized the Union Budget, saying it does not address the issue of employment.
Participating in a debate on the General Budget in the Rajya Sabha, the TMC MP also said that India is not enabling its youth, as the allocation for research and development remains low.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Gokhale said, "The problem with the BJP is that their one leg is in 1947 and... the other leg is in 2047. There's nothing in the present."
He said the budget has become "personality-oriented," rather than policy-oriented.
"The problem is that the government doesn't understand the difference between dreams and delusions... The Great Indian dream begins with education. Have you wondered why so many Indians are going abroad to study? We are not enabling our youth," Gokhale said.
"They create ecosystems that enable students to explore their full potential, not just get a degree, but acquire the skills that will be valued in the job market," he said.
He said, despite a higher education allocation of around ₹55,000 crore, only 0.7 per cent is for research and development. The India Skills Report suggests that nearly 50 per cent of Indian graduates are unemployable, he said.
"Today, the unemployment rate for young people in India is about 15 per cent... Of the remaining young people who have jobs, Sir, 10 per cent are underemployed. This budget ignores this serious problem," he said.
He also quoted the 'State of Work in India' report by the Azeem Premji University, saying, "34 per cent of Indian youth are paid less than what they deserve. So, the government likes to tell us that India is the fourth largest economy."
"But what the government doesn't tell people, Sir, in terms of per capita GDP, our economy ranks 123rd. This is not nominal, it's based on purchasing power parity. So, this means that, in terms of purchasing power, a young urban Indian is poorer than a young person in war-torn countries like Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Ukraine, and Libya," he said.
Participating in the debate, Congress MP Rajeev Shukla attacked the government over the India-US interim trade deal.
He said that the tariff on Indian goods being sent to the US was 2.9 per cent under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and 3 per cent under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
"Now they are saying an 18 per cent tariff is an achievement," Shukla said.
"It's not the best deal, even economists are saying the deal is tilted towards the US. I am sure the government will clarify why this is the case," he said.
He also said that restrictions on importing oil from Russia would lead to a rise in petrol and diesel prices in India.
"We are calling India a 'Vishwa Guru'... we are opening an Ashram here, but there are no disciples... What kind of Guru has no followers?" said Shukla.
RJD MP Sanjay Yadav said that the Union Budget has been reduced to a formality, and raised concerns over rising unemployment.
"This budget is an attack on the common people, and a gift for the rich. It will decrease the income of the common people," he said.
"Employment is mentioned only twice in the budget. The schemes are not for helping the poor, but for corporations," he said.
"Only 20 people are defining the economy, the rest are paying the price for bad policies," he added, saying that 20 people can buy the whole country, but millions cannot even feed themselves.
"Our economy is the fourth largest, but poverty is such that 81 crore Indians have to be given 5 kg grains to keep them alive," he added.
R Girirajan of DMK mentioned the Sethusamudram project, and criticized the government over low allocations for health, unemployment, and the failure to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. YSRCP MP S Niranjan Reddy, meanwhile, praised the reforms in processes and policies brought by the NDA government.
BJD MP Debashish Samantray was also called to speak, but he declined, saying that the time allotted to him was not enough.
