As told to Parliament (November 20, 2019): India’s unemployment rate in 2018 was 6%

India’s unemployment rate in 2018 was 6%

India’s unemployment rate in 2018 was six per cent, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment, Santosh Kumar Gangwar told the Rajya Sabha on November 20, 2019.

The minister stated this in response to a question on whether India's unemployment rate rose to a three-year high of 8.48 per cent in October according to data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy.  

Increase in deaths of manual scavengers

In 2019, 83 people died cleaning sewers and septic tanks in India. This is an increase of 26 per cent over 2018. In 2018, 66 people died across India, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale told the Rajya Sabha.

Of the 83 people who died, the families of only 31 have received compensation. Manual scavenging is officially prohibited by law in 1993.

Thousands of crores remain unspent under MPLADS

Thousands of crores of rupees remain unspent under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation told the Lok Sabha.  

Out of Rs 50,462 crore allocated by the government, close to Rs 4,102 crore remained unspent as on March 31, 2019, the ministry said in its statement.