International Labour Mobility
Indian Economy
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
This concept is vital for understanding India's demographic dividend, its foreign policy objectives, the role of remittances in the economy, and the challenges and opportunities in human capital development. It reflects India's strategy to leverage its workforce on a global scale.
International labour mobility refers to the cross-border movement of individuals for employment purposes, driven by global demand for specific skills and workers seeking better economic opportunities. For India, with its large working-age population, facilitating skilled labour mobility is crucial for remittances, human capital development, and strengthening bilateral ties.
Facts & tables
- Overseas Migrant Population
- India has the world's largest overseas migrant population of 18.5 million.
- NITI Aayog Working Paper
- Highlights the need to strengthen skilling and institutional mechanisms for global labour demand.
- Priority Countries
- Ministry of External Affairs identified 25 priority countries facing labour shortages.
- Bilateral Agreements
- MEA has signed 22 Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreements, with 9 including skill development provisions.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Indian Economy |
| Conceptual area | External Sector & Capital Flows |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Niti Aayog | Advises/researches |
| Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) | Formulates policy/negotiates |
| Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) | Implements/formulates policy |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Statement-based questions
Prelims angle: Factual recall
- India has the largest overseas migrant population (18.5M).
- NITI Aayog paper advocates strengthening skilling for global demand.
- MEA identifies 25 priority countries with labour shortages.
- MSDE implements programs and agreements to facilitate mobility.
- Bilateral Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreements are key.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2026 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2026 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2017 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2016 | Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2013 | Definition-based questions, Conceptual understanding |
Timeline
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Indian Economy
Conceptual area
-
External Sector & Capital Flows
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2013
Definition-based questions, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2016
Multi-statement analysis, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2017
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2026
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2026
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2026
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
International Mobility of Skilled Workers
India's strategy to leverage its demographic dividend by facilitating international mobility of skilled workers through institutional mechanisms, bilateral agreements, and targeted skill development programs, as highlighted by NITI Aayog and implemented by MEA and MSDE.
See also
Past papers
2013–2026 · 8 questions
In the news
International Mobility of Skilled Workers
India's strategy to leverage its demographic dividend by facilitating international mobility of skilled workers through institutional mechanisms, bilateral agreements, and targeted skill development programs, as highlighted by NITI Aayog and implemented by MEA and MSDE.
Try these PYQs
Consider the following statements about Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) :
1. MPI is calculated using Alkire-Foster methodology.
2. MPI calculated by NITI Aayog has a total of twelve indicators.
3. Maternal Health and Bank Account are common indicators in the MPI of NITI Aayog and MPI of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Statement 1 is Correct: Both the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and India's National MPI are calculated using the Alkire-Foster (AF) methodology. This method measures acute poverty by counting the overlapping deprivations that individuals experience simultaneously. Statement 2 is Correct: India's National MPI, calculated by NITI Aayog, consists of 12 indicators. It retains the 10 standard indicators from the Global MPI and adds two new ones to better reflect India's specific development priorities. Statement 3 is Incorrect: The two additional indicators in the National MPI are Maternal Health (added to the Health dimension) and Bank Account (added to the Standard of Living dimension). Therefore, these two are exclusive to NITI Aayog's National MPI and are not present in the UNDP's Global MPI, which only has 10 indicators. Therefore, option A is the correct answer.
With reference to ‘Financial Stability and Development Council’, consider the following statements:
1. It is an organ of NITI Aayog.
2. It is headed by the Union Finance Minister.
3. It monitors macro-prudential supervision of the economy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The FSDC is not an organ of NITI Aayog. It's a separate apex-level body under the Ministry of Finance. Statement 2 is Correct: The FSDC is headed by the Union Finance Minister. Statement 3 is Correct: The FSDC plays a crucial role in monitoring macro-prudential supervision of the economy. Macro-prudential supervision focuses on preventing systemic risks within the financial system that could destabilize the entire economy. Therefore, the correct answer is 2 and 3 only.
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.
Which of the following international conventions have **not** been ratified by India?
1. Employment Policy Convention
2. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
3. International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
4. Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War
5. Convention on Reduction of Statelessness
Select the answer using the code given below:
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (ILO No. 122) is one of the International Labour Organization's governance (priority) conventions. India ratified it on November 17, 1998. Statement 2 is Incorrect: The Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (ILO No. 105) is a fundamental ILO convention. India ratified it on May 18, 2000. Statement 3 is Correct: The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990) is a UN multilateral treaty. India has neither signed nor ratified this convention. Statement 4 is Incorrect: The Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (1949) (also known as the Fourth Geneva Convention) was ratified by India on November 9, 1950, and implemented domestically via the Geneva Conventions Act, 1960. *(Note: The question setter likely confused this with the 1951 Refugee Convention, which was adopted in Geneva and which India has not ratified).* Statement 5 is Correct: The Convention on Reduction of Statelessness (1961) has not been signed or ratified by India. India is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the 1954 Convention on Statelessness, or this 1961 Convention. *Conclusion:* Factually, only conventions 3 and 5 have not been ratified by India. However, among the given options, there is a discrepancy as no option perfectly matches "3 and 5". Since any correct answer must include the unratified conventions 3 and 5, Option D is the only possible choice by elimination.
Consider the following statements about platforms for multilateral co-operation :
1. The 'Colombo Process' is a regional consultative process in which member states take binding decisions by consensus.
2. The 'Abu Dhabi Dialogue' is a voluntary non-binding consultative process among Asian countries of labour origin and destination to facilitate regional cooperation on contractual labour mobility.
3. The 'Global Forum for Migration and Development', created upon the proposal of a former UN Secretary General, is a voluntary forum whose decisions are non-binding in nature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process comprising 12 Asian member states that are primarily countries of origin for migrant workers. It operates as a voluntary forum where decisions are made by consensus, but they are strictly non-binding in nature, not binding. Statement 2 is Correct: The Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) is a voluntary and non-binding inter-governmental consultative process established in 2008. It brings together Asian countries of labour origin and destination to facilitate regional cooperation on temporary contractual labour mobility, aiming to ensure safe and orderly labour migration. Statement 3 is Correct: The Global Forum for Migration and Development (GFMD) was established following a proposal by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the 2006 UN General Assembly High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development. It is a state-led, voluntary, informal, and non-binding process operating outside the formal UN system to discuss the linkages between migration and development. Therefore, option C is the correct answer.
Show 3 more PYQs
With reference to the "Tea Board" in India, consider the following statements:
1. The Tea Board is a statutory body.
2. It is a regulatory body attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
3. The Tea Board's Head Office is situated in Bengaluru.
4. The Board has overseas offices at Dubai and Moscow.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Statement 1 is correct: The Tea Board of India is a statutory body created under the Tea Act, 1953 and it was established to regulate the Indian tea industry and protect the interests of tea producers in India. Statement 2 is incorrect: It is functioning as a statutory body of the Central Government under the Ministry of Commerce. Statement 3 is incorrect: The Tea Board of India's Head Office is situated in Kolkata. Statement 4 is correct: The Tea Board of India has overseas offices in Moscow, Dubai, Hamburg, London, and New York.
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.
Disguised unemployment generally means
Disguised unemployment, means that more people are engaged in a job that can be done with fewer people, normally seen in agriculture where the whole family is involved. It means extra people can be removed without affecting the productivity, i.e. their marginal productivity is zero.