Challenges of Urbanization and Migrant Labour
Indian Economy
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
Crucial for understanding demographic shifts, social justice issues, urban planning failures, and the need for inclusive development policies for a significant segment of the population. Relevant to GS1 (Society, Urbanization) and GS2 (Social Justice, Welfare Schemes).
Rapid urbanization in India, driven by rural-urban migration in search of better economic opportunities, often leads to significant challenges for migrant labourers. These include inadequate housing, poor living conditions, exploitation in the informal sector, lack of social security, and limited access to basic services, exacerbating urban poverty and inequality.
Facts & tables
- Precarious Employment
- Migrant workers often face unstable jobs, low wages, and long working hours in the informal sector.
- Lack of Portability
- Difficulty in transferring social security benefits and identity documents across states.
- Housing Crisis
- High cost of living, especially housing, forces many into informal settlements or shared, substandard accommodations.
- Vulnerability to Exploitation
- Susceptibility to fraud and exploitation by middlemen or unscrupulous employers due to lack of formal contracts and awareness.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Urban Planning |
| Conceptual area | Welfare Schemes & Social Policies |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs | Formulates policy |
| State Urban Development Departments | Implements |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
Prelims angle: Factual recall
- Drivers of rural-urban migration.
- Key challenges: housing, low wages, exploitation.
- Lack of social security portability.
- Vulnerability to fraud and informal sector issues.
- Need for inclusive urban policies and welfare schemes.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2022 | Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2021 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2020 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
| 2019 | Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
| 2017 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2015 | Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions |
Timeline
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Urban Planning
Conceptual area
-
Welfare Schemes & Social Policies
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2015
Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2017
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2019
Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2020
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2021
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2022
Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2024
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
Surviving a city on ₹13,690
Explores the socio-economic difficulties faced by rural migrants in urban centers, including housing, employment, exploitation, and lack of access to welfare, highlighting the need for comprehensive policies.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
Past papers
2015–2024 · 7 questions
In the news
Surviving a city on ₹13,690
Explores the socio-economic difficulties faced by rural migrants in urban centers, including housing, employment, exploitation, and lack of access to welfare, highlighting the need for comprehensive policies.
Try these PYQs
With reference to the casual workers employed in India, consider the following statements:
1. All casual workers are entitled for Employees Provident Fund coverage.
2. All casual workers are entitled for regular working hours and overtime payment.
3. The government can by a notification specify that an establishment or industry shall pay wages only through its bank account.
Which of the above statements are correct?
Statement 1 is not correct: The Government had launched a scheme viz Casual Labourers (Grant of Temporary Status and Regularization) Scheme of Government of India, 1993. As per the scheme, Temporary status would be conferred on all casual labourers who were in employment and who have rendered a continuous service of at least one year, which means that they must have been engaged for at least 240 days (206 days in case of offices observing 5 days week). Statement 2 is correct: The Supreme Court has decreed that casual workers are also entitled to social security benefits as stipulated in the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act. The Court's ruling stemmed from its interpretation of Section 2(f) of the EPF Act, wherein the definition of an "employee" encompasses a broad scope, including any individual engaged directly or indirectly in connection with an establishment's work and receiving wages. A bench of the Supreme Court affirmed this viewpoint. Statement 3 is correct: The government has the authority to specify through a notification that an establishment or industry is obligated to disburse wages exclusively via its bank account.
With reference of the Indian economy after the 1991 economic liberalization, consider the following statements:
1. Worker productivity (per worker at 2004-05 prices) increased in urban areas while it decreased in rural areas.
2. The percentage share of rural areas in the workforce steadily increased.
3. In rural areas, the growth in non-farm economy increased.
4. The growth rate in rural employment decreased.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. After the 1991 economic liberalization, worker productivity increased both in urban and rural areas. While urban areas experienced higher growth, rural areas also saw improvements, especially with the rise in non-farm activities. Statement 2 is incorrect. The percentage share of rural areas in the workforce has steadily decreased since liberalization. This is because more people have moved to urban areas for employment in the industrial and service sectors, contributing to the growing urban workforce. Statement 3 is correct. In rural areas, the growth of the non-farm economy increased significantly. With liberalization, the diversification of rural economies into sectors like manufacturing, construction, and services grew, reducing the dependency on agriculture. Statement 4 is correct. The growth rate in rural employment decreased after 1991. While the rural economy diversified, the agricultural sector did not provide enough employment opportunities to absorb all the labor, leading to lower growth in rural employment. Hence, option B is the correct answer.
Consider the following statements:
1. Vietnam has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world in recent years.
2. Vietnam is led by a multi-party political system.
3. Vietnam's economic growth is linked to its integration with global supply chains and focus on exports.
4. For a long time, Vietnam's low labor costs and stable exchange rates have attracted global manufacturers.
5. Vietnam has the most productive e-service sector in the Indo-Pacific region.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Vietnam’s open economic policy of recent years integrating into global supply chains has made the growth success story possible. Vietnam's export-led growth strategy and global integration are among the key factors behind the country's remarkable achievements in growth and poverty. Vietnam was one among the few countries to post GDP growth rate figures in 2020 when the pandemic hit. Vietnam is projected to be the fastest-growing internet economy in Southeast Asia in the next 10 years. Statement 2 is not correct. Vietnam is a one-party communist state, not a multi-party parliamentary democracy. Statement 4 is correct. Thanks to an abundance of low-wage labour, Vietnam's manufacturing sector grew at a compound annual growth in the last decade. As the rest of East Asia developed and wages there rose, global manufacturers were lured by Vietnam's low labour costs and stable exchange rate. Hence, Statement 5 is not correct. According to the Asian Development Bank Report, e-services including digital financial services are at a very nascent stage in Vietnam.
Consider the following countries :
1. Italy
2. Japan
3. Nigeria
4. South Korea
5. South Africa
Which of the above countries are frequently mentioned in the media for their low birth rates, or ageing population or declining population?
* Italy and Japan are often cited as prime examples of countries with rapidly ageing populations and very low birth rates. Both countries have been grappling with the economic and social consequences of these demographic trends for several years. * South Korea has also emerged as a country with significant demographic concerns. Its fertility rate is one of the lowest in the world, and its population is projected to start declining in the coming years. * Nigeria and South Africa, while facing their own set of demographic challenges, are generally not highlighted for low birth rates or declining populations. Nigeria has a very young and rapidly growing population. South Africa’s population growth has slowed in recent years, but it is not yet experiencing a decline.
Which of the following brings out the ‘Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers’?
The Labour Bureau, attached to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, is responsible for compiling and publishing the Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) in India. This index tracks changes in the retail prices of a basket of goods and services consumed by industrial workers. It serves as a crucial indicator of inflation faced by this specific segment of the population. The Labour Bureau is responsible for maintaining:
- CPI (Industrial Workers) - CPI (Rural Labourers) - CPI (Agricultural Labourers)
Show 3 more PYQs
In India, which one of the following compiles information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers?
In India, the primary agency responsible for compiling information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments, and lay-offs in factories employing workers is the Labour Bureau The Labour Bureau is an attached office of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. It plays a crucial role in collecting, compiling, and disseminating labor statistics across various aspects, including industrial relations.
Consider the following statements :
As per the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central (Amendment) Rules, 2018
1. if rules for fixed-term employment are implemented, it becomes easier for the firms/companies to lay off workers
2. no notice of termination of employment shall be necessary in the case of temporary workman
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is correct: Fixed-term employment and ease of layoff. The amendment introduces the concept of "fixed-term employment" for the first place. While it doesn't automatically make layoffs easier, it allows companies to hire for specific projects or periods without them becoming permanent employees. This can potentially make restructuring or downsizing during economic downturns easier for companies with fixed-term employees compared to permanent ones (who have greater job security). Statement 2 is correct: Notice period for temporary workmen.
The amendment clarifies that no notice period is required to terminate the employment of a "temporary workman," which is someone hired for a specific, non-continuous job or for a short period.
Consider the following in respect of ‘National Career Service’:
1. National Career Service is an initiative of the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.
2. National Career Service has been launched in a Mission Mode to improve the employment opportunities to uneducated youth of the country.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. The National Career Service is not an initiative of the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India. It is actually implemented by the Directorate General of Employment, Ministry of Labour & Employment. Statement 2 is incorrect. The National Career Service has indeed been launched in a Mission Mode, but it is not specifically targeted at improving the employment opportunities for uneducated youth of the country. It is a comprehensive platform providing a wide array of employment and career related services to all citizens of India, aiming to bridge the gap between jobseekers and employers, candidates seeking training and career guidance, and agencies providing training and career counselling.