India Labour and Employment Scenario in the 21st Century

In India, the economic reforms programme got underway when the Government announced a new industrial policy in the Indian Parliament on July 24, 1991. However, even after ten years into economic reforms, rigid markets are persisting as constraints to growth. The intense competition brought about by the lowering of tariffs makes it necessary for business and industry to adjust to now realities if they want to survive. Moreover, unemployment is a major issue in the Indian economy. Despite the decline in poverty ration, the absolute number of the poor continues to be large, a phenomenon closely related to unemployment. This book presents contributions by a cross-section of eminent academicians, trade union leaders, social scientists and administrators on labour and employment issues in the wake of liberalization and privatization trends in the Indian economy.