As part of a new employment generation plan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday promised one million federal jobs in the next 18 months.
According to the Indian Prime Minister’s Office, Modi has directed the central government to recruit 10,00,000 lakh people in mission mode in the next and half years.
The announcement comes at a time when the ruling BJP is facing scores of socioeconomic and political challenges both at home and abroad.
Following the announcement, India's Ministry of Home Affairs said they've "initiated steps to fill up the vacancies in Mission Mode," ANI reports.
According to media reports, the government told the parliament earlier this year that there are a whopping 872,000 vacant posts in central government departments as of March 1, 2020. This acute lack of worker shortage is also affecting the work flow.
The maximum vacancies are in big ministries and departments like Posts, Civil Defence, Railways and Revenue, News18 reports. However, the government has failed to fill up these vacancies despite repeated attempts .
India’s urban unemployment rate has risen to 12.6% in the second quarter of 2021 compared to 9.3% in the first quarter.
Experts believe Modi's employment generation plan could dent criticism from the opposition on the unemployment front which might give the BJP government an edge ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.