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General Studies 2023 GS Paper III 15 marks 250 words Compulsory Examine

GS Paper III — Q11

Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country…

Most of the unemployment in India is structural in nature. Examine the methodology adopted to compute unemployment in the country and suggest improvements. (Answer in 250 words) 15 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत में सबसे ज्यादा बेरोजगारी प्रकृति में संरचनात्मक है। भारत में बेरोजगारी की गणना के लिए अपनाई गई पद्धति का परीक्षण कीजिए, और सुधार के सुझाव दीजिए। (उत्तर 250 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q11 of the 2023 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper III, as printed
The question as printed in the 2023 General Studies paper
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Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 250-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

Structural unemployment in India arises when workers' skills, locations or expectations do not match available jobs; it dominates because rapid technological change, formal-sector skill selectivity and a large informal sector leave workers in low-productivity activity. Since 2017-18, the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) has replaced NSSO's quinquennial surveys, using Usual Principal and Subsidiary Status (UPSS), Current Weekly Status (CWS) and Current Daily Status (CDS). UPSS, the headline measure, classifies a person as employed if they worked at least 30 days in the reference year; this broad criterion can mask disguised unemployment and underemployment, especially in agriculture and informal work. CWS, with an ILO-type one-hour criterion, is closer to current-status standards but not the main indicator; CDS is not routinely reported in standard PLFS estimates, limiting labour-market visibility. Limitations include: annual estimates cover rural and urban areas, while quarterly estimates are urban-only, so rural labour-market changes are not tracked in real time; informal work is hard to capture; and definitional choices around marginal workers, casual labour and self-employment can overstate employment.

Improvements should include extending quarterly PLFS coverage to rural areas, publishing CDS and underemployment indicators, building satellite accounts for informal employment, creating skill-mismatch indices, integrating PLFS with educational and employment databases, and using big data and AI for real-time monitoring. India's measures are ILO-compatible, but the deviation from strict current-status emphasis, using usual status with a 30-day subsidiary criterion as the headline, weakens their ability to reveal structural unemployment. A more frequent, status-rich and skill-linked measurement system is essential for policy design.

What "Examine" is asking you to do

Test the proposition the question puts to you and return a finding on how far it holds. Examine stems carry a claim, or ask whether something has happened, and expect evidence weighed both ways before the extent is stated — often with remedial measures attached.

Structure that answers it

Restate the claim as the question frames it → evidence that supports it → evidence that undercuts it → the conditions under which it holds → verdict on how far it stands

Where marks are lost

Stopping at description. An examination has to reach a finding, and “examine with justification” means the extent must be stated, not implied.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: GS3 Economy: Methodology & Policy Analysis. examine: intro > how/why with reasoning > evidence > conclusion Full marks: Clearly distinguishes the three NSSO methods, critiques their limitations, and proposes specific, implementable improvements.

Key points expected

  • Define structural unemployment in the Indian context
  • Explain the three NSSO methods: USM, EWM, and CWM
  • Critique the limitations of the current methodology
  • Suggest implementable improvements to the measurement system

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Analyze the NSSO unemployment measurement methods and propose specific improvements. 15 marks · 250 words

    examine— intro → how/why with reasoning → evidence → conclusion

    Must cover

    • Define structural unemployment in the Indian context
    • Explain the three NSSO methods: USM, EWM, and CWM
    • Critique the limitations of the current methodology
    • Suggest implementable improvements to the measurement system

    Loses marks

    • Confusing structural with cyclical unemployment
    • Failing to distinguish between the three NSSO methods
    • Providing only aspirational solutions without implementation details

    Earns more

    • Mention the shift from 6-month to 1-year reference period
    • Discuss the role of PLI schemes in reducing structural unemployment
    • Reference the 2023-24 unemployment rate data
    • Mention the role of the National Statistical Commission

    Extra mark

    • Cite the specific NSSO report number
    • Mention the specific PLI scheme name

Practice this exact question

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