Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
4. Explain the impact of pandemic on urban employment and discuss in what way an urban job guarantee scheme is the need of the hour. (250 words)
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
The article talks about the crisis in urban employment scenario and applauds the recommendation of the parliamentary committee to have an urban employment scheme on the lines of MNREGS.
Key Demand of the question:
Present the impact of pandemic on urban employment and discuss in what way an urban job guarantee scheme is the need of the hour.
Directive:
Explain – Clarify the topic by giving a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with some key data.
Body:
The answer body must have the following aspects covered:
Discuss the impact of the pandemic on urban employment first; the government has not conducted a holistic survey on the way migrant workers were impacted due to pandemic induced lockdown.
Further, the PLFS highlights the job recovery, which is skewed and misleading. Most of the recovery in jobs has happened in unpaid workers category or disguised employment. Youth has been most affected, and the average wage has gone down since the pandemic.
Explain with suitable justifications as to why an urban job guarantee scheme is the need of the hour.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
