INDIA AGAINST ILO’S REPORT (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: India is likely to raise a complaint against the UN agency over its India Employment Report 2024, released in March this year.

International Labour Organisation (ILO)

• About: It is the United Nations agency for the world of work.
• Mandate: Its mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Parent organization: Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
• Members: The ILO has 187 member states: 186 out of 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands. (India is a founding member).

India Employment Report 2024:

• About: It is the third installment of a regular publication by the Institute for Human Development focusing on labor and employment issues.
• Partnership: International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Focus: The report delves into the critical issue of youth employment, analyzing its challenges amidst evolving economic, labor market, educational, and skills landscapes in India.

Issue

• Criticism of ILO Model: A Union Labour Ministry of India said the “model” ILO had used to assess the employment scenario in India was not suitable and India has its own assessment of the situation.
• Youth Unemployment Statistics: The report prepared by the ILO and the Institute of Human Development (IHD) said India’s youth account for almost 83% of the unemployed workforce and the share of youngsters with secondary or higher education in the total unemployed youth has almost doubled from 35.2% in 2000 to 65.7% in 2022.
• Data Discrepancy: The government said data used by the ILO are different than the data used in the country.