The problem of unemployment is a world wide reality. The developed countries like the US, England, France, Germany, Italy etc also suffer from this problem, but it is more pronounced in India. With the passage of time it has become worse. it has become a threat to India's economic well being and social development. It is one of the major causes of our poverty, backwardness, crimes and frustration among the people. India is the second largest country after China in term of population and man-power. But because of large scale unemployment there is a large waste of this manpower. There are capable and willing hands but there is no suitable employment for them. They are forced to remain idle.
The ever increasing number of job seekers on the live register of employment exchange shows how alarming and serious this problem has become in the recent years. The number of the unemployed people registered with the employment exchanges in the country, just gives a rough idea of the problem, because all the job seekers and unemployed persons do not get themselves registered with the employment exchanges. Moreover, there are no employment exchanges in the villages and rural area of the country.
There are millions of young men and women waiting and waiting for job opportunities. This chronic problem of unemployment is not confined to any particular class segment or society. It is all pervading. There is massive unemployment among educated well trained and skilled people, and it is also there among semiskilled and unskilled labourers, small and marginal farmers and workers. Then there is underemployment. The jobs being created have miserably failed to keep pace with the ever increasing number of job seekers. It is a problem which present a great challenge to our country and our leader, thinkers, planners, economist, industrialist and educationalist.
In the far flung areas, villages and towns the problem is all the more acute as there are thousands and thousands of workers and farm labourers who do not have their own piece of land to cultivate. Majority of our farmers too have very small holding . Consequently they remain idle for many months of the year. This has resulted in a mass exodus from villages to the cities and large towns. It is because of this limitless unemployment that the majority of our population has been living below poverty line. The problem of unemployment has also given rise to many other serious problem like those of extremism and terrorism. We should not forget that an idle mind is a devil's workshop. Many a young man takes recourse to lawlessness, violence, antisocial activities, terrorism and extremism because of frustration arising out of prolonged unemployment and lack of proper job opportunities.
A frustrated and unemployed man or woman can prove a very dangerous person. He or she will never allow other to live in peace and happiness. Many of our law and order problems are directly linked with this problem of unemployment among our young men and women. They are full of energy, drive and initiative. If not property oriented, these are bound to explode into harmful and antisocial activities. Therfore, it is the need of the hour that the youth is suitably employed and its energies capabilities and skills are harnessed for fruitful and nation building activities. If this problem of unemployment is solve many other problems would be solved automatically. for democratic country and a welfare state like ours, unemployment is a big curse, which can be eliminated to great extent by proper manpower planning and creation of job opportunities at a large scale.
