GS3 2023 Q11 15 marks 250 words Employment and Economy

UPSC Mains 2023 GS3 Q11 — Employment and Economy

Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country and suggest improvements (Answer in 250 words )

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Question Decoded — examiner's intent

Directive verbs
Examinesuggest
Scope keywords
unemployment in Indiastructural in naturemethodology adopted to computesuggest improvements
Implicit sub-parts
  • Validation of the claim: Why is Indian unemployment primarily 'structural' rather than just 'cyclical'?
  • Detailed breakdown of the current PLFS (Periodic Labour Force Survey) methodology and the CWS/UPS/UPSS metrics.
  • Critical gaps in current measurement (e.g., informal sector under-representation, unpaid female labor).
  • Policy and technical recommendations to align measurement with actual labor market dynamics.
Common pitfalls
  • Spending too much time defining types of unemployment (frictional, seasonal) instead of focusing on 'structural' causes like skill-mismatch.
  • Failing to mention specific institutional bodies like NSO or the shift from quinquennial surveys to PLFS.
  • Confusing 'unemployment' with 'poverty'—the question asks for measurement methodology, not just general welfare schemes.
  • Neglecting the 'structural' prompt and giving a generic list of unemployment causes like population growth.
Dimensions required
Statistical/MethodologicalEconomic-Structural (Skill-mismatch/Industry 4.0)Gender/Sociological (Labor Force Participation Rate)Administrative/Institutional
Marks allocation hint

Allocate 50-60 words to contextualize structural unemployment and its causes. Devote the largest section (100 words) to the examination of current PLFS methodology and its limitations. Use the final 90-100 words for specific, actionable improvements like real-time data tracking and measuring underemployment.

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