Unemployment rate among Indian women more than double of men: study
New Delhi: The unemployment rate among women in India is more than double of that of men with similar qualifications, a new study has revealed.
Titled "Gender Inclusion in Hiring in India", the study by two Harvard students, Rachel Levenson and Layla O'Kane, noted that 8.7 per cent of working-age urban, educated women in the country are unemployed but only 4 percent of comparable men find themselves without a job.
"While there are many factors that influence a woman's decision and ability to find work, the gender gap in the unemployment rate along with ILO (International Labour Organisation) research suggest that women, particularly highly-educated ones, face additional barriers as compared to men in accessing jobs," it said.
Levenson and O'Kane's analysis is based on close to 200 India-based jobs for which Shortlist, a hiring firm in India, had provided the recruiting platform between 2016 and 2017. It included 286,991 applications from 211,004 applicants (some people applied to multiple jobs).
According to the study, while discrimination based on gender is illegal under the Indian constitution, conversations with hiring managers and other labour market experts have revealed that there is gender discrimination in the hiring process across the country, as is the case around the world.
The study looks at three stages at which women may face barriers during hiring -- qualifications and experience, recruitment and choice to apply, and application process, while suggesting tools to increase gender diversity in the Indian workforce.
It highlighted the need for gender inclusive work places by correlating it with "higher levels of performance and innovation".
"Inclusive hiring improves firm-level growth by allowing companies to attract and retain top talent and better serving consumers in markets or sectors where women are a key customer segment," it said.
The study also noted that increasing female participation in the labour force could increase the Indian GDP by 27 per cent.
Not dismissing the progress, albeit little, that several multinational corporations in the country have made towards minimising gender discrimination at work place over the past couple of decades, it highlighted the role technology could play in improving hiring outcomes including increasing the number of women who apply and get shortlisted for jobs.
"We know that diverse teams perform better, and we're encouraged by these results because they show that even small and medium sized businesses, and not just large enterprises, can leverage technology to increase the diversity of their candidate pools," said Simon Desjardins, Co-founder of Shortlist.
The study suggested competency-based assessments, behavioral nudges in recruitment, and well-designed job descriptions, for creating a more effective bias-reducing, gender-sensitive hiring process in India.
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SC regularises interim bail granted to Gujarat-based journalist in money laundering case
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday confirmed its earlier order of granting interim bail to journalist Mahesh Langa in a money laundering case linked to a matter involving an alleged financial fraud lodged by the Enforcement Directorate at Ahmedabad.
The top court on December 15 last year had granted the interim bail to Langa and fixed the case for further hearing on April 10.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the probe agency, and said the interim order is confirmed.
The bench agreed to the contention of Mehta that the observations made in the bail order shall not be construed as remarks on merits of the case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal had represented Langa.
Earlier, opposing the bail plea, the solicitor general had said, "Journalists extorting money and saying that if you do not pay, I will write against you is a serious offence."
The bench had granted the relief and ordered a day-to-day trial in the case and imposed certain conditions on the journalist, including asking him not to write any article in any media outlet about his sub-judice case and seek any adjournments before the special court.
"The petitioner will furnish the bail bonds to the satisfaction of the designated special court under the PMLA," it said, adding, "The special court is directed to take up the case on a day-to-day basis for consideration of charge and if charge is framed, recording the statements of all the nine witnesses."
The bench directed Langa and his counsel in the trial court to extend "full cooperation to the special court", and said "no adjournment shall be sought or permitted on the ground that quashing proceedings are separately pending before the high court".
It said this condition is being imposed as the high court has not granted a stay on the trial proceedings.
"The Directorate of Enforcement shall also cooperate with the special judge for taking up the case on a day-to-day basis," the apex court said.
Langa will be at liberty to raise all legal contentions, objections and defence pleas, and place the material for the special court's consideration in accordance with law, it added.
"The petitioner shall not publish or write any article in his position as an assistant editor of a newspaper with respect to the allegations, which are sub-judice against him, before the special judge at Ahmedabad," the bench said.
It also made it clear that the interim bail is being granted subject to the petitioner's "good conduct and behaviour".
On July 31, last year, the Gujarat High Court rejected Langa's bail plea in the case on the grounds that if he is granted the relief, prejudice would be caused to the prosecution case.
On February 25, 2025, the ED said it arrested Langa in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged financial fraud.
The journalist was first arrested in October 2024 in a Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud case.
The money laundering case against Langa stems from two FIRs filed by the Ahmedabad Police on charges of fraud, criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, cheating and causing wrongful loss of lakhs of rupees to certain people.
