Jobless growth, rural indebtedness, urban chaos have made aspirational youths restless: Manmohan
New Delhi, Feb 17: The "jobless growth" has slipped into "job-loss growth", which, together with rural indebtedness and urban chaos, has made the growing number of aspirational youths restless, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said Sunday, as he hit out at the government for failing to uplift the economy to its potential.
Singh asserted that the domestic challenges of India's economy were daunting in their complexity and devastating in their impact on society.
In his convocation address at the Delhi School of Management, he said the "grave agrarian crisis, the declining employment opportunities, the pervasive environmental degradation, and above all the divisive forces at work" were some of the challenges facing the nation.
"Suicides of farmers and frequent farmer agitations reflect the structural imbalances in our economy which call for serious in-depth analysis and political will to address them," the senior Congress leader asserted.
"The jobless growth slipping into job-loss growth, together with rural indebtedness and urban chaos have made the growing aspirational youths restless, he said.
The attempts at creating additional job opportunities in the industrial sector have failed as industrial growth is not picking up fast enough, he alleged.
In a scathing attack on the government, Singh said the small and unorganized sectors which were vibrant and contributing to generation of wealth and employment opportunities have grievously suffered in the wake of the "disastrous" demonetization and "slipshod" introduction and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
"Well thought-out policy and implementation strategies are required to stimulate industrial and commercial sectors. Knee-jerk reactions and off-the-cuff announcements of grandiose schemes and unproductive projects have manifestly failed to uplift the economy to its potential," he alleged.
Singh said one of the areas of major concern in the endeavors to promote employment-oriented industry is the gap between the skills that the industry needs and the skill-sets that the graduating students possess.
"?We are living in a fast-changing world. On the one hand we are getting more and more integrated with the world economy and exposed to the global markets, and on the other hand, we face massive economic and social challenges at home," said Singh, who was the prime minister from 2004-2014.
Changing equations among global powers and fluctuations in the markets for petroleum products and other industrial commodities and the financial markets affect India's economy more than ever before, he argued.
"?Needless to stress, it is a testing time for our democratic spirit, our patience and tolerance, our capacity of managing contradictions, our resolve of ensuring inclusive growth a strong, equitable and sustainable growth," he said.
Addressing budding management professionals, Singh told them that they are joining the business world at an important time when India is projected to be one of the top three economies of the world by 2030.
This possibility opens up many opportunities and challenges for budding management professionals in this fast moving world of unprecedented changes, he said.
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CPI(M) rebel Kunhikrishnan hopes for 5,000-vote win in Payyanur
Kannur (Kerala) (PTI): CPI(M) rebel candidate V Kunhikrishnan, who contested as a UDF-backed Independent from Payyanur here, on Saturday said he was hoping to win the Assembly election by a margin of 5,000 votes.
Kunhikrishnan was expelled from the CPI(M) earlier this year after raising allegations of corruption in the party’s martyrs’ fund against sitting MLA T I Madhusoodanan.
Speaking to a TV channel, Kunhikrishnan said he had announced his candidature as a mark of protest and not with expectations of victory.
However, he said the situation had changed drastically, with a strong undercurrent within CPI(M) votes favouring him.
"The undercurrent in CPI(M) votes cannot be measured. Now people are giving a response indicating victory with a margin of at least 5,000 votes," he said.
Payyanur is considered a CPI(M) stronghold, and a defeat for Madhusoodanan there would be a major setback for the party.
On political violence in Payyanur, Kunhikrishnan said he had been facing it since filing his nomination.
"The people leading this violence should think about how long they can continue it. It is the police which has to take the initiative to stop this violence as part of maintaining law and order. But the police are not intervening at the required level," he said.
Regarding his political future, Kunhikrishnan said efforts were underway to strengthen Left groups, and discussions were being held across Kerala in that regard.
"After discussing with others, a decision will be taken," he said.
Kunhikrishnan is among six former CPI(M) leaders who either exited the party or were suspended before contesting for the UDF in the April 9 Assembly elections.
Elections to the 140-seat Kerala Assembly were held on April 9, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4.
