Policy Watch: Growth with Employment – March 2021

This issue of Policy Watch carries the overview chapter of the State of India’s Livelihoods (SOIL) Report, 2020, which was edited by Vijay Mahajan, Director, RGICS. The SOIL Report is released every year at the Livelihoods India Summit organised annually by Access Development Services, New Delhi. This year the Summit was virtual and was held on 28 and 29th January.

In a break from the past, this year’s SOIL Report focuses a lot more on the future and specifically identifies the livelihood challenges of this decade (2021–2030). In terms of numbers, about 12 crore new livelihoods need to be created in this decade to meet the projected increase in the labour force, and a lot of the incremental employment will have to be in the non-agriculture sector and away from rural areas. Thus, the report recommends a focus on sectors such as agricultural services, construction, handicrafts and small-scale manufacturing, and services—both proximate and those that can be remotely delivered digitally.

The report argues that even to sustain the existing level of employment in agriculture, massive investments are needed in regenerating natural resources—land, water, and forests. It also argues for a serious focus on improving the quality of school education and vocational training. The report estimates the investment requirements at about 10 percent of the GDP per annum and strongly argues that much of this should come from sources other than the government—household savings and private sector investments. The report offers an eightfold path towards inclusive, sustainable livelihoods and argues for the emergence of a multi-sector collaborative ecosystem approach.

As the English version of the full report is available on sale from Access Development Services, New Delhi, we are carrying just the Cover of the Report and the Overview Chapter and the Table of Contents of the Overview in English in this issue of Policy Watch. However, we are carrying the full Hindi translation of भारत की आजीविका परिदृश्य 2020 एवं परिपथ 2030.