Govt’s Dataphobia: Why No Data on Unemployment or Farmer Suicides?

Cameraperson: Shiv Kumar Maurya

Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj

Video producer, Translator: Hera Khan

Farmers and youth of the country have an important role to play in the country’s GDP, but the government seems to be very casual about problems like unemployment and farmers’ suicides. One would be surprised to know that the government does not have data to assess such serious matters.

The government makes big promises before the public to overcome unemployment, but when they are questioned in Parliament they can’t provide data on the same.

In March, Santosh Kumar Gangwar, the Union minister of Labor and Employment, said in Parliament that the government of India has not conducted any nationwide survey to know the actual figures of employment in the country since 2016.

During a parliamentary session in Lok Sabha, MP Dushyant Chautala questioned the government over unemployment in the last 3 years. Gangwar was unable to present the figures of unemployment in 2016-17 and 2017-18 in response.

Gangwar also said that the Narendra Modi government has not set any targets for job creation.

How Many Farmer Suicides?

On 16 March, Minister of State for Agriculture Purushottam Rupala told the Rajya Sabha that there was no data available on farmer suicides due to indebtedness since 2016. The Ministry of Home Affairs has not yet released any report about it.

The incidents of suicides can only be reduced by increasing the income of farmers. The Central government has set a target to double the income of farmers by 2022. But how will the government find out the situation of farmers without any data?

The government that talks about the economy and development seems to have averted their eyes from reality. Is the government not ready to consider unemployment and farmers’ suicides as serious issues?

The government needs to get on top of its math so that millions of unemployed youth and distressed farmers of the country can pass!