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Two Statistic Commission members quit as Modi govt doesn’t clear report on job losses

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Two Statistic Commission members quit as Modi govt doesn’t clear report on job losses

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The two remaining non-government members of the National Statistical Commission (NSC) resigned on Monday protesting against the withholding of a report that was expected to reflect job losses in the wake of demonetisation.

The report, the NSSO’s (National Sample Survey Organisation) first Annual Survey on Employment and Unemployment for the year 2017-18, was the first by NSSO in this government, media reports said.

The withholding of this report is not a one-off instance. This is not a one-off Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and his party have been extremely sensitive about reports that expose the situation on employment front and consequences of demonetisation. BJP MPs who are members of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have stalled its report on demonetisation and on employment data.

Employment data was also the trigger that forced its acting chairman PC Mohanan and member JV Meenakshi to quit the organisation. Mohanan, a career statistician, and Meenakshi, Professor at the Delhi School of Economics, were appointed by the government as members in the NSC in June 2017.

NSC is an autonomous body constituted in 2006 and tasked to monitor and review the functioning of the country’s statistical systems. As such, the survey reports of the NSSO need the Commission’s approval and not that of the government, a former NSC member told The Business Standard. This mechanism was put in place in 1960s, when a governing council was there, which was replaced by the Commission in 2006.

Both had a three-year term that was to end in June 2020. They cited the treatment being meted out by the government to NSC – withholding of the publication of the National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO’s) employment survey for 2017-18 and a lack of consultation with the Commission before releasing the backdated gross domestic product (GDP) series last year – as the key reason for their resignations.

In November, the NITI Aayog had announced back series data or “revised” GDP data under the previous Congress-led UPA rule, but did not involve the NSC in the consultation process, which did not go down well with NSC members. The data released by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar and Chief Statistician Pravin Srivastava trimmed the average growth during the UPA years and showed higher growth in the four years of the BJP-led government. The NSC had released its report on the GDP back-series, which was disowned by the government as just another exercise.

Further, the latest Economic Census was announced by the government but was not brought to the Commission. Also, the NSC was kept out of the release of the National Policy on Official Statistics.

Three years ago, NSC was snubbed by the Niti Aayog over finalisation of GDP back series data.

With these resignations, there are no external members in the Commission. The move has left the commission with only chief statistician Pravin Srivastava and ex-officio member, the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant.

The commission is mandated to have seven members. Three posts had been vacant before the resignations.

The immediate trigger for the resignations was the delay in releasing the NSSO’s first series of household survey, known as the periodic labour force survey, for 2017-18, reported Business Standard (BS).

The NSC had approved the survey report in its meeting held on December 5 in Kolkata and it was supposed to be released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, said the BS report, citing sources.

Mohanan told The Indian Express (IE): “The normal convention is that NSSO presents the findings to the Commission, and once approved, the report is released within the next few days. We approved the NSSO survey on employment/unemployment in December beginning,” said Mohanan. “But the report has not been made public for almost two months.”

Srivastava, reported BS, said the NSSO was supposed to come up with annual estimates on labour force, along with quarterly ones in urban areas, and the NSSO would release them after the quarterly survey results for July 2017-December 2018 are processed.

A former member pointed out that the government was uncomfortable with the findings of the NSSO’s household survey. It has been uncomfortable with job situation – the Labour and Employment Ministry has withheld the release of the annual household survey for 2016-17 conducted by the Labour Bureau, despite necessary approvals in place.

The issue of employment has taken centre stage as the campaign to the upcoming general elections gathers momentum. The Modi government has repeatedly cited lack of numbers on jobs as a bigger problem than job creation itself.

“The 2017-18 job survey did not present a good picture on the employment front. This is most likely the reason for holding it back,” said a source in the NSSO.

Earlier, the NSSO undertook employment/unemployment surveys once in five years. The last survey was released in 2011-12.

The next survey should have been in 2016-17. But after considerable thought, the NSC decided to have annual as well as quarterly surveys. The first annual survey undertaken by the NSSO for the year-ending June 2018 (July 2017-June 2018) would have covered both the pre-demonetisation and post-demonetisation period.

Almost three years ago, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, had finalised back series data for GDP following a change in the base year from 2004-05 to 2011-12. That exercise had led to an upward revision in growth rates for the UPA years but the NITI Aayog, then under Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya, did not allow its release.

The latest update by the CMIE revealed that the unemployment rate shot up by 7.4 per cent in December 2018, the highest in 15 months, and that 11 million jobs were lost in 2018 due to demonetisation. But the government has denied job losses, and often said many entrepreneurial jobs have been created.

At a jobs event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry on January 19, Piyush Goyal, now finance minister, had said that data on jobs available now was not very inclusive and did not cover the many new-age industries, such as taxi aggregators which engage a million people. Entrepreneurship did not get recognised and household help was not accounted for, he said.

“The absence of these will exaggerate the demand and supply situation for employment,” Goyal said – a flawed argument to justify the worsening job situation as entrepreneurship and domestic help were not accounted for earlier as well.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Bank holiday on September 14: Banks closed in these cities

Banks will remain closed on September 14 in nine cities, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, due to Ganesh Chaturthi and related festival observances.

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Bank holidays

The bank holiday on September 14 will affect branches in select cities across India as banks observe a regional holiday for Ganesh Chaturthi and related festival observances.

September 14, 2026, falls on a Monday and is listed as a holiday for Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh Puja, Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata, Vinayakar Chathurthi and Hartalika in certain banking centres.

Bank holiday on September 14: Full city-wise list

According to the holiday listings, bank branches will remain closed on September 14 in the following centres:

CityFestival/occasion
BelapurGanesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
BengaluruGanesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
BhubaneswarGanesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
ChennaiGanesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
HyderabadGanesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
MumbaiGanesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
NagpurGanesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
PanajiGanesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances
VijayawadaGanesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/related observances

The holiday is therefore not applicable to bank branches across the entire country. Bank holidays in India vary by state and banking centre, depending on local festivals and occasions.

Why are banks closed on September 14?

September 14 marks Ganesh Chaturthi in 2026. The festival falls on Monday this year, with the date confirmed as September 14.

The banking holiday calendar uses different names for the observance across centres, including Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh Puja, Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata, Vinayakar Chathurthi and Hartalika.

The National Stock Exchange’s 2026 holiday circular also lists September 14 as a trading holiday for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Will online banking services work on September 14?

The closure applies to physical bank branches in the affected centres. Customers can generally continue to use digital banking channels such as mobile banking, internet banking and UPI, although specific services can depend on the bank.

Customers who need to visit a branch for cash deposits, withdrawals, account-related work or other in-person services should check the holiday status of their particular branch before visiting.

What about banks in other cities?

Banks in cities that are not covered by the September 14 regional holiday are not automatically closed because of Ganesh Chaturthi.

The bank holiday calendar is centre-specific, so customers should check their bank’s branch holiday schedule before planning a branch visit.

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Harish Rawat quits Congress posts after ED raid on aide

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat resigned from two Congress posts after the ED searched his aide Chandan Singh Jeena’s premises in a money laundering probe.

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Harish Rawat

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat has resigned from two organisational positions in the Congress after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at the premises of his personal assistant, Chandan Singh Jeena.

Rawat announced his decision on Friday, saying he did not want the controversy surrounding his close associate to weaken the Congress’s campaign against corruption. He stepped down as a member of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee executive and as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee.

The ED searches were linked to a money laundering investigation concerning alleged irregularities in the 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination conducted by the Uttarakhand Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UKSSSC).

What ED recovered from Rawat’s aide

The ED carried out searches at multiple locations in Dehradun, including premises connected with former UKSSSC officials, a private computer agency involved in processing OMR sheets and alleged middlemen.

According to the agency, its search of Jeena’s residence resulted in the seizure of Rs 32 lakh in unaccounted cash, gold coins and chains weighing around 200.5 grams, and 12 luxury watches.

The gold comprised 13 coins and seven chains. The watches included brands such as Rolex, Rado, Piaget, Movado, Tissot and Casio Edifice, according to the ED.

The agency also said bank accounts belonging to Jeena and his family members containing Rs 52.16 lakh were frozen. His mobile phone was seized for forensic examination.

The ED alleged that Jeena had made substantial cash expenditures for which no legitimate source of income could be established. It also said unaccounted cash, jewellery and other valuables were recovered from some former UKSSSC officials and associated individuals.

What is the UKSSSC exam case?

The ED’s money laundering investigation stems from four FIRs registered by the Uttarakhand Police and Vigilance Bureau over alleged irregularities in the 2016 Gram Panchayat Vikas Adhikari examination.

According to the agency, OMR answer sheets were allegedly removed from secure custody and taken to the residence of the commission’s then secretary. Roll numbers of under-filled answer sheets were recorded and passed to personnel of a private computer agency.

The ED has alleged that answer bubbles were subsequently filled or altered fraudulently before the sheets were resealed, with illegal payments allegedly routed through middlemen.

Jeena is currently serving as Rawat’s personal assistant. He had earlier served as Rawat’s officer on special duty when Rawat was Uttarakhand chief minister between 2014 and 2017.

What Harish Rawat said

Reacting to the allegations, Rawat said he found it difficult to believe that Jeena had been involved in wrongdoing. He acknowledged Jeena’s association with him and said the truth behind the allegations would emerge with time.

Rawat said that if evidence showed Jeena had tampered with OMR sheets in the recruitment examination, he would be ashamed of such conduct, while adding that he did not believe the allegation.

Explaining his resignation, Rawat said Uttarakhand politics was entering an election phase and that attempts were being made to create a narrative against him.

He said Congress and its workers were fighting corruption and that he did not want any action associated with him to weaken the party’s campaign. Since he did not hold a government position from which he could resign, he chose to step down from his organisational responsibilities in the party.

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PM Modi, Putin share car ride in Delhi after bilateral talks

PM Modi and Vladimir Putin shared a car ride to Bharat Mandapam after bilateral talks, marking their fourth joint journey by car.

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PM Modi putin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared a car ride in New Delhi on Friday after holding bilateral talks, marking their fourth joint journey by car.

The two leaders travelled together in a limousine to the INNOPROM exhibition at Bharat Mandapam, where the 11-member BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place. Their joint ride came a day before the summit.

Modi and Putin’s fourth joint car ride

PM Modi and President Putin have shared a car on three previous occasions. Their first such ride took place during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China last year.

The two leaders also met earlier this month at an SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan. Putin’s most recent visit to India before the current trip was in December 2025.

Their latest joint journey followed a bilateral meeting in which the two leaders discussed several areas of the India-Russia relationship.

India-Russia talks cover trade, energy and defence

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi and Putin held wide-ranging discussions on the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.

The talks covered cooperation in areas including trade, energy, defence, space and people-to-people ties. The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues, including conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region.

PM Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remain the way forward for resolving conflicts and said India is ready to assist in peace efforts, according to the Ministry.

Modi gifts Putin Russian translation of Thirukkural

During the bilateral meeting, PM Modi presented Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, the classical Tamil work associated with the poet and saint Thiruvalluvar.

Modi said the translation of the ancient text into Russian could help strengthen people-to-people ties between India and Russia.

The joint car ride added another notable moment to the two leaders’ interactions ahead of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

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