Just 0.3% of Dalits got jobs via employment exchanges in 2014

NEW DELHI: Joblessness is one of the key reasons why Dalits across India took to the streets to demand that their social and economic lot be improved.

In the backdrop of widespread protests that saw nine people killed and many more injured in states like MP, Rajasthan and UP, data submitted by the government to Lok Sabha showed extremely high levels of unemployment among Dalits, lower, in fact, than employment given to tribals and minorities.

Labour minister Santosh Gangwar submitted data that showed that of the 76.44 lakh Scheduled Caste persons who registered themselves for jobs with employment exchanges in 2014, only 22,000 (0.3%) were given jobs.

However, the government has not provided employment data for subsequent years leading to the current year and said the figures are “not available”.

Attributing the gap between demand and supply of jobs, former National Commission for SCs chairman and Rajya Sabha MP P L Punia said, “Since Dalits are at the bottom of the social ladder, their employability remains lower than minorities, who are skilled and are not socially disadvantaged.”