India's unemployment 7.2% in Feb 2019, it was 5% a year ago: CMIE

By Our Representative
The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) has said that India's unemployment rate in February 2019 was 7.2 per cent, higher than 7.1 per cent in January 2019 and much higher than the 5.9 per cent in February 2018 or 5 per cent in February 2017. Releasing latest figures, the top consulting agency has said, simultaneously, the labour participation rate fell from 43.2 per cent in January 2019 to 42.7 per cent in February.
"A year ago, in February 2018, the labour force participation rate was 43.8 per cent. Since then, this ratio has slipped to a low of 42.5 per cent. It seems to be stabilising within the range of 43.2 and 42.5 per cent", CMIE says, adding, however, "The most worrying part of the monthly labour participation rate series is that it has been systematically lower than the corresponding levels a year ago."
According to CMIE, "The falling labour participation rate implies that lower and lower proportion of the working age population is willing to work. The unemployment rate is the proportion of the labour force that is unemployed." It adds, "The employment rate in India skid onto a sharply declining trend from November 2017 when it was 41.8 per cent. By December 2018, it fell to 39.5 per cent. In February 2019, the ratio was 39.7 per cent."
CMIE continues, "The total number of employed persons in February 2019 is estimated at 400 million. This is lower than the 406 million employed in February 2018 and 407.5 million in February 2017." The downward slide, it adds, is h happening when "India needs to employ its growing working-age population", which "grows by an estimated 23 million a year."

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ISKCON UK 'clarifies' after virus infects devotees, 5 die due to big temple meet

By Rajiv Shah
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By Souparno Chatterjee*
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By Our Representative
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By Our Representative
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By Rishiraj Sinha, Biswanath Sinha*
“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela
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Gujarat govt plan to 'banish' Gandhian activist anti-democratic, unconstitutional

By Rohit Prajapati*
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Mallika Sarabhai releases speech she was 'not allowed' to give at NID Convocation on Feb 7

Counterview Desk
The National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad, a Ministry of Commerce and Industry body, landed itself in controversy following its decision to put off its 40th convocation ceremony, where noted danseuse Mallika Sarabhai was invited as chief guest. The ceremony was scheduled to be held on February 7.

Rani Laxmi Bai, Tatya Tope 'martyred' by East India Company, Scindia's forefathers

By Our Representative
In an email alert to Counterview, well-known political scientist Shamsul Islam has said that was “shameful for any political party in democratic India to keep children of Sindhias in their flock” given their role during the First War of Indian Independence (1857). In a direct commentary on Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia moving over to BJP, Prof Islam has quote from a British gazetteer to prove his point.

Gujarat construction workers walk home as Rs 2,900 crore welfare fund lies unused

By Our Representative
Situated behind the Gujarat University, some of the families of the migrant construction workers from Dahod and Panchmahals districts of Gujarat, and a few from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, who had stayed put in make-shift shanties in Ahmedabad’s sprawling GMDC Ground, have begun a long journey, by foot, back to their home villages in the eastern tribal belt of Gujarat.

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