Labour Reforms Agenda for India
THE LABOUR REFORMS INDIA NEEDS For Faster Growth with Fairer Safety-Nets SUBHASH CHANDRA GARG Economic, Finance and Fiscal Policy Strategy and Former Finance and Economic Affairs Secretary, Government of India THE JOBS AND EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGE OF INDIA It is human labour which produce all economic goods and services, with skills, tools and technology. The households of labour also consume practically all of the economic goods and services produced. Human labour, therefore, has pre-eminent role in the entire economic system. Physical energy and manual skills make the primary labour force. In the agricultural age, the labour force used this labour to work the land to produce the agriculture crops. Acquisition of skills and invention of tools enabled the labour force to branch into handicrafts and handlooms. After invention of steam engine and electricity, machines started becoming more powerful. The machines expanded the range of goods which could be produced in